thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--How Kindness Could Prevent Loneliness – But Not In The Way You’d Expect

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Loneliness is one of the key issues of our time – with millions in the UK, young and old, thought to be in the grips of a silent struggle.
It’s proven to be a significant health challenge – with its effects likened to smoking and obesity – so it’s important to find new ways to tackle the problem.
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Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine believe the key to preventing loneliness could lie in acts of kindness. But while you might think that means volunteers stepping in to keep lonely people company, it could actually be beneficial the other way around.
Simply put, helping others could stop you feeling lonely.
Researchers spoke to older adults living in a senior housing community, where shared common areas, planned social outings and communal activities aim to reduce isolation.
The purpose of the study was to find out why many older adults living in these settings still experience strong feelings of loneliness. Jeste and researchers conducted interviews with 30 adults aged 67 to 92 years old, as part of an overall study evaluating 100 older adults. In the community, 85% of residents reported moderate to severe levels of loneliness.
Through the interviews, they discovered ways loneliness was prevented among the residents. “One participant spoke of a technique she had used for years, saying ‘if you’re feeling lonely, then go out and do something for somebody else,’” said Dilip Jeste, a professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and the study’s senior author.
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Studies have linked volunteering to better health outcomes in those who do it. Showing compassion, it would seem, could counteract feelings of loneliness – and possibly protect against the negative health implications.
The interviews also revealed other protective factors against loneliness were acceptance of ageing and comfort with being alone, which the researchers referred to as wisdom.
Jeste said: “One resident told us, ‘I’ve accepted the ageing process. I’m not afraid of it. I used to climb mountains. I want to keep moving, even if I have to crawl. I have to be realistic about getting older, but I consider and accept life as a transition’.
“Another resident responded, ‘I may feel alone, but that doesn’t mean I’m lonely. I’m proud I can live by myself.’”
Lauren Mulligan via Getty Images
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The researchers found people’s experience of living with loneliness is shaped by a number of personal and environmental factors. “Different people feel lonely for different reasons despite having opportunities and resources for socialisation,” said Jeste. “This is not a one-size-fits-all topic.”
Feelings of loneliness were frequently associated with a lack of purpose in life. “We heard powerful comments like, ‘It’s kind of grey and incarcerating,‘” said Jeste. “Others expressed a sense of ‘not being attached, not having very much meaning and not feeling very hopeful’ or ‘being lost and not having control.’”
Another commonly-shared theme among those who felt lonely was loss. “Some residents talked about the loss of spouses, siblings and friends as the cause of their loneliness,” said Alejandra Paredes, a research fellow at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Others mentioned how making new friends cannot replace deceased friends they grew up with.” Having inadequate social skills was also considered to be a primary risk factor for loneliness.
The researchers said loneliness is a “growing public health concern” and it’s important, therefore, to identify causes of loneliness from the perspectives of those who experience it, so it can be resolved.
“It is paramount we address the wellbeing of our seniors – they are friends, parents and grandparents of the younger generations,” said Jeste. “Our study is relevant to better understand loneliness within senior housing, and other settings too, so we can develop effective interventions.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Deciphering The Masked Singer | Good Vibes Only

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Deciphering The Masked Singer | Good Vibes Only
This week in entertainment… The Masked Singer continues to enthrall, Jason Momoa strips to a black vest for the Golden Globes, and Harry Styles and Adele drop a bomb of a tip for their waitress in the Caribbean.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Love Island's Shaughna Phillips Wants To Go Into Politics After The Show

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Critics like Piers Morgan might hold certain views about the brain power of certain Love Island contestants, but new arrival Shaughna Phillips is hoping to go against that stereotype by launching a political career after the show.
The 25-year-old already works as a democratic services officer for London’s Lambeth council and has revealed her dreams of working in politics once she leaves the villa.
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Speaking to HuffPost UK and other journalists in South Africa ahead of entering the villa, Shaughna said: “I definitely want to get into some kind of politics. I just like helping people and I want to do as much as I can.
“For me, it’s not really about how much a job pays you, because it’s about helping people. I know that’s cliché and embarrassing, but the job I was in before my previous one was more money, but I got a better feeling out of it.”
Shaughna, who said she has no allegiance to any current political party, explained that her current role sees her support local councillors and their committees, ensuring anything they do is legal and in the best interests of the people of Lambeth.
Shaughna Phillips is among the new Love Island contestants ITV
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Prior to that, she worked in a fire safety team, which was put put together two weeks after the Grenfell Tower disaster to ensure all front doors in council tenants’ properties were fire safe or refitted.
“To begin with, it was overwhelming,” she said. “But because you’re doing something good, that if I went home and there was a few more fire safe doors that had been installed, it was like, ‘good, we’re getting there’.
“It was hitting the ground running as there was so much to do, so it was like a project and I loved, loved, loved it.”
While a period of fame and fortune may await her after appearing on Love Island, Shaughna also admitted she would not mind returning to her job at the council, revealing she begged her bosses to keep her role open.
She explained: “I had to leave because you get an allowance from ITV, so I couldn’t be on unpaid leave there and be getting money from somewhere else. But my manager has said the door is open if I do want to go back, but said I won’t need to. I was like, ‘listen, I need that door open, I need that in writing’.”
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Shaughna with her fellow Love Island stars ITV
“I could be home in a week and back in Lambeth in two weeks, or I might not be. So I think that’s the bit I’m probably thinking about a little bit more,” she added.
And while her career and post-show ambitions bare similarities to that of series three Islander Camilla Thurlow, who worked in land mine clearance before the show and has continued to work with charitable causes, Shaughna said that is where the comparisons between them will likely stop.
She said: “I think I’m a little bit more confident or outgoing. She seemed so sweet, just like a little lamb you want to hold, and I think I’m definitely more lairy.
“I need to take a note out of her book!”
Love Island begins on Sunday at 9pm on ITV2.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Love Island Boss Speaks Out Over Possibility Of Caroline Flack's Return

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A senior Love Island boss has spoken out about the possibility of Caroline Flack returning to the show in the future.
Caroline has fronted all five series of the ITV2 reality show, but stepped down from the upcoming sixth run last month, after she was arrested and charged with assault.
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She said at the time: “In order not to detract attention from the upcoming series I feel the best thing I can do is stand down for series six.
“I want to wish the incredible team working on the show a fantastic series in Cape Town.”
Caroline Flack ITV/Shutterstock
While Laura Whitmore is set to host the first winter series when it debuts later this week, ITV2’s commissioning editor Amanda Stavri has made it clear that she’d be happy to see Caroline back in the future.
She told The Mirror: “We are continuing to talk to Caroline. We are in constant contact and the door is open.”
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Meanwhile, Laura Whitmore recently revealed she received a text from Caroline Flack shortly after she stepped down from the show, saying she hoped that she would land the job in her absence.
Laura Whitmore Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images
“When Caroline stepped down she actually sent me a text message saying, ’I really hope you get to do this series,” she told The MIrror.
She also revealed that she’d had to ask for her mum’s permission to meet with ITV2, as she was supposed to be flying home to Ireland for her birthday.
The sixth series of Love Island debuts on ITV2 on Sunday night.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Victory For Sex Workers Taken To Court For Keeping Each Other Safe

Due to current laws around brothel-keeping, some women are too fearful to work together at the same location and as a result often compromise their safety by working alone. AlexLinch via Getty Images
Two sex workers who were dragged through the courts for sharing a workplace just to keep each other safe are celebrating after charges against them were dropped.
The extraordinary climbdown saw the Crown Prosecution Service accused of trying to extort cash from the pair by forcing them to hand over their earnings. The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), a campaign group that fought their side, has said the Crown’s decision to abandon proceedings strengthens the case to decriminalise prostitution altogether.
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It came after thousands of people wrote to the CPS in outrage that the women were being prosecuted instead of protected.
One of the pair, named only as Ms O, said: “They said I was a criminal but I am a good mother working to make sure my child has a better life.
“I worked with my friend because it’s safer. Thank goodness that I was sent angels like the ECP girls to help me. I would never have been able to fight this on my own.”
Before the charges were dropped, they had been repeatedly downgraded, with the CPS latterly offering them police cautions in exchange for the cash cops seized during a raid.
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The women, Ms O and Ms R, were raided by police on September 19 and charged with “managing a brothel” – even though neither woman’s name was actually on the tenancy of the Surrey property.
During the raid, police took all of the money on the premises – about £1,000 – without giving a receipt.
As well as not being listed on the property’s tenancy, the women, who are friends, were not forcing each other to work. Due to current laws around brothel-keeping – the laws under which the women were prosecuted – some sex workers are too fearful to work together at the same location and as a result often compromise their safety by working alone.
In this case the women, who are both migrants, had prioritised their safety and were sending money back to Brazil to support their families.
The pair believe they were reported by a vindictive client who had attempted to extort free sex from them.
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Determined to fight the case and backed by the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), the women pleaded not guilty during a hearing at North Surrey Magistrates Court.
The ECP also lobbied for supporters to write to the CPS, demanding the charges be dropped. The ECP estimates that several thousand people did this.
A template letter drafted by the EPC and addressed to Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for CPS south east, pointed out:
“The implications of prosecuting Ms O and Ms R are very serious. What sex worker in Surrey is now going to risk bringing herself to the attention of the police if they need to report a violent assailant? Prosecuting women for working together for safety contravenes police guidelines and a parliamentary report that sex workers should be decriminalised. Growing evidence points to massive increases in prostitution because of poverty and that criminalising women puts them at greater risk of violence.”
In England and Wales the acts of buying and selling sex are not in themselves illegal but associated activities such as soliciting, kerb crawling and brothel-keeping are outlawed.
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While the CPS did not comment on the action arranged by the ECP, the women were then offered a deal where, if they accepted cautions, the charges would be dropped – with the (rather significant) proviso that they forfeited the monies seized by police during the raid.
Because cautions show up on DBS checks and on police certificates used in immigration cases, the women refused this offer.
The CPS then reduced the charges to “permitting a premises to be used for prostitution”, before dropping the charges entirely – on the day both women attended court to fight their case.
The collective’s Laura Watson said: “These charges should never have been brought. Ms O and Ms R were working in a flat together for safety and supporting their families.
“Both women are migrant and we believe that racism was involved in why they were targeted. The police and CPS seemed to have thought that it would be harder for women, worried about their immigration status, to defend themselves against these unjust charges.
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“But because of their courage and with the support of the ECP and the thousands of people who wrote to protest, they have been able to leave court without a conviction”.
Both women wept with relief upon hearing the news the charges had been dropped.
Niki Adams from Legal Action for Women accompanied the women to court. She said: “This case could have set a dangerous precedent in that any sex worker could easily be convicted of permitting her co-worker to work.
“If this charge was applied to other workers the absurdity is clear – would a hairdresser who rents a chair in a salon be permitting her co-worker to work?
“We are also disgusted that the CPS tried to extort money from women offering them a caution on the condition that they ‘write over the money seized on their arrest’. Taking money from sex workers under duress is tantamount to pimping.”
The ECP believes the case strengthens calls for decriminalisation, something a major Commons report in 2016 urged.
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In steps outlined by the Home Affairs Select committee’s interim report, it was argued that brothel-keeping rules should also be adapted so prostitutes can share premises rather than placing themselves at risk by working alone.
In another measure, MPs called for previous convictions and cautions for prostitution to be deleted from sex workers’ records.
The committee raised concerns that treating soliciting as an offence stops sex workers seeking help to leave prostitution, and exposes them to abuse and violence. Having a criminal record for prostitution-related offences often creates an insurmountable barrier for those wishing to move into “regular” work, the study said.
It also echoed concerns that current laws on brothel-keeping mean women afraid of prosecution often compromise their safety by working alone.
In recent years it has become apparent that austerity cuts have pushed more women, particularly single mothers, into prostitution.
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A range of legal regimes on prostitution are in place around the world, with France and Northern Ireland recently passing laws that made it illegal to pay for sex.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--20 Ways To Be A Happier Person In 2020, According To Therapists

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Looking to make 2020 your happiest, most fulfilling year yet?
If your mental and emotional wellness took a backseat in 2019, there’s no better time than right now to prioritise it. (If anything, it’ll make the election year just mildly more bearable.) Your mood affects everything in your life ― your relationships, your work, your self-care ― so improving it should be at the top of your goal list.
That might feel like a huge and lofty task, but small, actionable habits can help you get there, according to experts. Below are the most common happiness tips therapists recommend. Maybe they’ll sound challenging or unrealistic (more on that later), but maybe they just might change your life.
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1. Conquer one anxiety
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Give yourself a motivational benchmark to start conquering your biggest fears this year.
“Single out the goal of selecting an anxiety that is holding you back, and thoroughly commit yourself to obliterating that fear,” said Forrest Talley, a clinical psychologist. “Hold nothing back in your assault; treat that fear as though it is enemy number one.”
Perhaps you’ve been worried about signing up for a half marathon. Maybe you’re afraid to reach out to book agents because you don’t want to be rejected. Perhaps you’re fearful of having a difficult conversation with a toxic friend or family member and you’re putting it off. Set the goal, pick a reward you’ll get when you complete it, then get to it.
“The thing to keep in mind is that very often happiness is found just on the other side of a doorway guarded by our anxieties,” Talley said. “And the new year is a great time to start kicking down some doors.”
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2. Lock down a sleep schedule that works for you
You may think you’re doing OK on sleep, but take a closer look at your schedule. Are you really getting optimal hours? Are you maintaining relatively the same bed time every night?
“Getting a [consistent] good night’s sleep is vital; chronic sleep deprivation is a huge problem, especially for those who work late or are extremely busy,” said Joanna Konstantopoulou, a psychologist and founder of the Health Psychology Clinic. “It’s not just the 40-hour marathons without sleep which can be detrimental to your psychological health, but simply losing an hour or two on a regular basis can have a significant impact on your mind and well-being.”
That last bit is important. If you’re constantly shaving off an hour here or there ― thinking you can get by on five hours a night ― it’s time to reevaluate that sleep schedule.
“Start with small steps by giving yourself a sensible and realistic bedtime,” Konstantopoulou said. “Try to go to bed half an hour before your usual bedtime and stick to it. Evaluate this new habit every day by having a journal and writing down your progress.”
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She noted that this new routine will improve your memory, reduce anxiety, and “transport toxins out of the brain” to potentially prevent chronic illnesses.
3. Find one small self-care act that works for you and prioritise it
Pick a you-centric activity and engage in it regularly, said Elena Touroni, co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic.
“The most impactful mental health goal a person can set is the commitment to balance workload and responsibilities alongside activities that bring them a sense of well-being and enjoyment,” she said. “When there is an imbalance in what we’re giving out to the world, and what we’re taking for ourselves, that’s when our psychological resources get depleted.”
Her suggestions to get you started? Try beginning each day with a five-minute mindfulness meditation session. Want to go further? “Go to therapy to unravel a lifelong pattern, get a personal trainer, or make time for reading,” she said. “This commitment can be broken down into specific and concrete goals, depending on your personal preferences, but it all comes down to making self-care a priority.”
4. Spend 10 minutes a day outside
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Go for a walk during your lunch break, spend a few minutes drinking your morning coffee outside or pick up running. It doesn’t even have to be for a long period of time.
“This year, resolve to spend less time inside and more time outdoors in natural settings,” said Michael Brodsky, a psychiatrist. “Research in multiple countries show that spending time in green spaces can lift your mood and relieve anxiety in as little as 10 minutes.”
5. Regularly practice a simple mindfulness exercise
“Many of us spend our days worrying about the future or ruminating about the past, thus, missing a great deal of what is happening in the here-and-now,” said Anna Prudovski, the clinical director of Turning Point Psychological Services.
Making an effort to be more present “increases the sense of well-being, promotes vitality, heightens our awareness, helps train our attention, improves the quality of our work, and enhances interpersonal relationships,” she said. Sounds pretty nice, right? “Be more present” can feel a little vague, so here’s how you can get started:
Each day, spend five minutes noticing your surroundings and how you feel. Do this by naming five things you see, four things you can physically feel, three different sounds you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. It’s OK if you point out something far away from you. Then take a second to label how you’re feeling in the moment (like, “I’m frustrated,” “I’m bored,” or “I’m excited”). This is known as a grounding exercise, which experts say helps with anxiety.
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6. Say nice things about yourself
Roseann Capanna-Hodge, paediatric mental health expert and psychologist, suggested an adjustment to your everyday vocabulary, both in your thoughts and out loud.
“Instead of always focusing on the negative, flip your dialogue to only positive outcomes. For example, instead of saying, ‘If I get that job,’ switch it to, ‘When I get that job.’ Those subtle changes in using positive language helps to change your mindset to a glass half full instead of a glass half empty.”
You can also increase your positive thoughts by stating one thing you like about yourself when you look in the mirror each morning. Cheesy, but worth a shot.
7. Give up or cut back on one unhealthy habit
Capuski via Getty Images
We know when things are bad for us, which can cause stress. You can curb that by reducing them or giving them up entirely, said Sarah C. McEwen, a cognitive psychologist. Think activities like high alcohol consumption or excessive caffeine consumption.
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Getting those things in check “will all help to manage stress levels,” McEwen said.
8. Find a physical activity you love
“Exercise plays a large role in mental health,” said physician Jena Sussex-Pizula. “While studies are ongoing, a review article found consistent beneficial effects of exercise on depressive symptoms across multiple studies.”
How often? McEwen suggests 30 minutes a day if you can. “This [amount] has been shown to produce the most benefit for improving mood and reducing stress levels,” she said.
The most important part is finding something you enjoy. It doesn’t matter if it’s pilates, martial arts, spinning, running, dancing or lifting weights ― just make sure the activity is something that excites you.
9. Try meditation
Haven’t jumped on the bandwagon just yet? Now is as good a time as ever. McEwen suggests meditation for those who want to improve their level of stress resilience.
“A mindfulness meditation practice will have a tremendous positive effect longterm,” she said. “I recommend allocating at least 30 minutes daily, which can be divided into morning and evening.”
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Feeling intimidated by the concept? McEwen suggested trying a local class or an app like Headspace, Waking Up or Insight Timer.
“Research has shown that the regular practice of meditation can actually improve your health because it lowers the negative effects of not only high cortisol, but also high cholesterol and high blood pressure,” she said. “Other great benefits of regular meditation include mental clarity and focus, improvement of memory and overall higher level of mental performance.”
10. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks
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“Our thoughts are not always reality,” said Judy Ho, a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist and author of ”Stop Self Sabotage.” “And we need to get into the routine of challenging them and changing our relationships to our thoughts.”
You can do this by asking yourself a simple question when you’re beating yourself up. Next time you have a negative thought, ask yourself: Does this completely and accurately capture what’s going on?”
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Ho said from there, you can transform the thought using one of two tactics. One is called “yes, but” and one is called “labelling.”
“‘Yes, but’ involves recognising a not so great thing, and [adding] something that is positive or shows progress,” she said. “Example: I did eat three cupcakes while trying to cut down on sugar, but I have been doing a great job with healthy eating and can start fresh tomorrow.”
And as for labelling, try mentally recognising or acknowledging that the thought you’re having is toxic. According to Ho, this “takes the wind out of the sails of a negative thought and reminds you that a thought is just a mental event, and nothing more.”
11. Invest in a quality relationship
“If you want to have good long-term mental and physical health, you need to first see if you have meaningful, loving relationships,” said clinical psychologist Kevin Gilliland. “Who knows you better than anyone and who do you know better than anyone? Have you invested in that relationship by staying in touch and talking on the phone (not just texting)? And when was the last time you got together?”
Gilliland suggests picking one person close to you this year, and planning to spend quality time together.
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“If we’re not careful, we will end up giving our best in places that aren’t good for our mental health,” he said. “Study after study finds that loving meaningful relationships are good for our mental and physical health.”
12. Read self-development books
“Read at least one book on someone you admire, and how they have dealt with the struggles in their life,” Gilliland said. “There are a lot of ways to learn about your mental health, from therapy to self-help to the lives of other people.”
You can pick up many tips and find a lot of inspiration in these motivational books, whether they’re memoirs or expert-backed advice. Need a specific suggestion?
“I have so enjoyed Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography and recent album ‘Western Stars’ where he talks about his struggle with depression and family issues,” Gilliland said. “It’s powerful and encouraging ... You can’t help but see yourself in some of his stories, he can paint with words like very few people can. It’s a wonderful way to learn about your mental health without feeling like its work.”
13. Cut back on your social media use
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So often we view people’s highlight reels on social media. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy in our own lives, according to experts. And given that research shows spending too much time online is linked to poor mental health, now’s the perfect time to cut back.
“External validation is temporary; it’s difficult to maintain the pressure to chase ‘likes,’” said therapist Jennifer Musselman. “Build your self esteem from competence of something important to you, and by being of service to others.”
14. Set better boundaries
Did you find yourself feeling chronically overwhelmed and stretched thin in 2019? Time to reel that in and make more space for you by setting boundaries.
“This one is more important than people realise, and they have way more control than they realise,” Gilliland said. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t go!”
Consider: Is it something you think you “should” do? If so, then why? In the words of a popular therapist joke, stop should-ing yourself. Set those boundaries to thrive in 2020.
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15. Make a progress list each week
Expecting perfection guarantees you’ll feel like a failure at least part of the time, and can lead to serious anxiety.
“Learn the art of progress, not perfection,” Musselman said. “We are setting ourselves up for failure from the get-go [when we expect] to ‘have it all’ perfectly balanced. In other words, we will always feel like we are failing.”
From “doing it all” as a mum to building your entrepreneurial business to perfecting your talent, it’s time to let go of that expectation that things are always going to be perfect. Instead, try writing down the incremental improvements you made each week. Celebrate small successes that eventually will lead to big ones.
16. Allow yourself to be sad
We experience a range of emotions for a reason: They’re necessary to our overall well-being. Research even shows that crying can feel incredibly therapeutic.
Musselman said in order to truly feel happy, you need to “stop chasing happiness.” That can lead to more feelings of inner peace and calm, which of course, can lead to a more improved mood.
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So embrace times when you feel disappointed, angry or sad instead of trying to rush through them.
17. Get a therapist if you’re able to do it
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If you were trying to get in physical shape and had no idea where to start, you might turn to a coach or personal trainer. Mental health works the same way.
There are so, so many benefits to seeing a therapist. And there are affordable options, too: Attend group therapy at a local mental health centre, seek free options in your community, opt for a sliding-scale psychologist, find a provider through your health insurance or try an app like Talkspace to get started.
“Getting a therapist in 2020 would be a good goal if you need a therapist and have been putting it off,” Talley said.
18. Write in a gratitude journal
Practicing gratitude “is so essential for a full and happy life,” Talley said.
Instead of allowing your brain to go to a place of anxiety and stress, Talley says to arm yourself with grateful thoughts. Writing them down helps.
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“If you wake up and focus on that which you have to be grateful for, your brain becomes better at finding even more [gratitude],” Talley said.
19. Turn your phone off
It’s been shown in many studies that too much tech time can negatively impact mental health.
Become less available via text and email so you don’t feel emotionally tethered to your phone, and spend more time off your devices. Opt for screen-free activities ― especially at night ― that help you disconnect from certain social and work stressors.
“While it’s unclear if sedentary screen time is a marker for or risk factor for depression (as all that has been shown is a correlation), there appears to be a consistent association of increased screen time in patients with depression and anxiety,” Sussex-Pizula said.
20. Reduce food shame and stress through mindful eating
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Have thoughts around food, calories, dieting, etc. been weighing on you in 2019? Lisa Hayim, a registered dietitian and founder of food therapy program Fork The Noise, said it’s time to kick this to the curb.
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“When we feel nervous, scared, anxious, or even unsure of what to eat or how much, our stress hormones begin to fire,” she said. “Our sympathetic nervous system becomes activated, and we’re no longer making empowered decisions.”
Does this sound like you? Are you constantly thinking about what a food choice might “do” to your body?
“Breathe. Your body knows what it wants and how much it wants, when it wants it,” she said. Listening to it is called intuitive or mindful eating: enjoying whatever you want and taking cues from your body when it’s hungry and full.
“Decreasing stress around food choices is not just good for the body, it’s good for the mind and the soul,” Hayim said.
Ready to increase your joy? Join our “Happy New Year” challenge. HuffPost editors will put these tips to the test throughout January 2020 to see if they really make a difference. We’ll also publish new stories all month about the pursuit of happiness. Keep checking back on HuffPost Life for updates and share what happiness habits are working for you at wellness@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Don’t Shame New Parents For Using Their Phone. They Can Be A Lifeline

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Happy new year, and welcome to 2020, a year so weird-sounding it seems to belong on the cover of some schlocky sci-fi novel more than it belongs on my calendar. I have spent this first week back at work trying to remember all my logins and figure out how much of my DNA is now technically mince pie.
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But barely had I ventured a toe into the new decade than I saw my first (but almost definitely not my last) parent-shaming of 2020. It was on Twitter.
“I’m on SCBU with my 5 day old,” read the tweet. “This poster makes me sad.” Then, a photo of the poster in question, apparently on the wall of a maternity unit, which read as follows: “Mummy & Daddy……. Please look at ME when I am feeding. I am much more interesting than your phone!! Thankyou xxxxxx.”
Twitter The poster, as seen in the now deleted tweet.
Reading that poster gave me a visceral reaction. Partly, of course, because of the grammatically questionable Comic Sans-style type, that truly horrible ClipArt, and the fact it had been laminated. Also because, according to the tweet, the poster wasn’t just in a hospital maternity unit – right in the eyeline of people who may have become parents just minutes ago – but in the SCBU, the special care birth unit. You know, where they send the newborns with life-threatening conditions. Exactly the sort of place where vulnerable parents should be shielded from the unsolicited opinions of others.
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The tweet has since been deleted and the account has gone, too. But I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a similar poster in my local maternity unit. And it also brought back memories of an encounter after my older son was born, five years ago.
I was lying with my brand new, shrimpy son-baby nestled in my cleavage, and I was attempting to commemorate the occasion by photographing him with my phone. I don’t know if you’ve ever attempted to photograph your own cleavage while incapacitated by epidural, but it is not easy and I had to try several angles. I have a million blurry close-ups of my Primark nightdress to prove it.
Just then, a female hospital staff member hurried past my gurney, clipboard in hand. Seconds later, she backed up, staring at me with pronounced disgust. “For God’s sake,” she spat. “You’ve just had a baby! Put your phone away and parent your child.” Then she bustled off as though she hadn’t just blasted a hole through me.
If she’d looked, she might have seen the cannulas in my son’s hand and my own; they were there because I’d developed sepsis during labour and been rushed into surgery for an emergency C section. If she’d looked closer, she’d have seen my eyes, boss-eyed from surgery and fever, and my skin pale from blood loss. And if she’d actually seen my phone, she might have noticed I was photographing my new son. I was doing this because it had been quite an ordeal. I had thought one of us would die quite a few times, and now I was trying to mark the fact that we, you know, hadn’t.
I’ve been writing about parenting for five years now, and sometimes people ask what “essentials” they need for the first few days of parenthood. A super-long phone-charging cable, I always tell them. And a back-up cable. And three fully-charged powerbanks, just to be on the safe side.
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HuffPost UK Getty/HuffPost UK
Have you been trapped under a feeding baby with nothing but the smell of their head to occupy you? Believe me, I’ve had two babies now and while their heads smell great, sometimes babies feed for an ENTIRE day, at which point the novelty wears off and you start wondering what’s happening on Instagram.
My super-long cable also came in handy those first few days in hospital, amid the strange horror that can settle over you whenever you’re left alone with your very small, totally dependent baby. I had sepsis, was going mildly crazy with sleep deprivation, and – though I didn’t know it – was plunging into postnatal depression and PTSD that would accompany me for the next two years.
(I also have no family of my own, and the dinner ladies kept coming in when I had my top off, so to be honest I was very glad for the distraction of my phone).
Since then I’ve found friendship and support, not to mention invaluable medical information while clutching my phone during feeding sessions. Not only are my two kids not neglected, I honestly don’t think I’d be as good a parent if all that info hadn’t been so readily at hand.
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Your phone can be your lifeline when you’re a parent – and an anchor to the world. So basically, up yours, poster. Also, is that message supposed to be from my baby? That’s ridiculous. My kids couldn’t communicate such complex thoughts as newborns.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Try These 3 'Fakeaway' Recipes And Save Money On Takeaways

Faith Mason Dale Pinnock's Fakeaways
For many of us, Friday evening signals many things – the fact you’ve made it through a week of work, the beginning of your weekend and, quite frankly, the time to relax. You are truly bossing life.
It might be tempting, then, to reward yourself with a takeaway – the ultimate Friday treat – but those on a New Year health kick, or trying to save money, might be reluctant to do so. What’s a foodie to do?
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Dale Pinnock’s new cookbook, Fakeaways, is packed with healthier, budget-friendly recipes you can make in the same amount of time it would take for a food delivery to turn up at your door.
And, unlike some recipe books, the instructions are ridiculously simple to follow.
Octopus Publishing Group Dale Pinnock Fakeaways
The book, published on 9 January, is brimming with more than 80 meal ideas. There are recipes for Indian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Thai food – and there’s even a section for ‘Grills & Classics’: think fish and chips, burgers and spicy wings.
Each recipe comes with nutritional information (Pinnock is a nutritionist, after all) and creative twists to help you save time, effort and money. Here’s a sneak peek of three recipes from the new book.
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Chicken Rogan Josh
Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 35 mins
“This is a dish that is traditionally made with lamb, but lamb is an ingredient I just don’t and won’t cook with so I’ve flipped this into a chicken version, which tastes amazing,” says Pinnock.
Faith Mason Chicken Rogan Josh
Ingredients
Olive oil, for sautéing
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
5–6 cardamom pods
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garam masala
800g chicken breast, diced
400g can chopped tomatoes
Salt
Green salad and pitta breads, to serve
Method
:: Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods in a little olive oil with a good pinch of salt until the onion has softened.
:: Add the remaining spices and cook for another minute or two until the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
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:: Add the chicken and stir well to coat in the spices.
:: Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
:: Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
:: Serve with a green salad and some warmed pitta breads.
Vegetable Chow Mein
Serves: 2 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 15 mins
“This is a super-easy favourite to recreate and one that I do at home quite often when I don’t feel like making anything extravagant for dinner,” says the nutritionist. “There is definitely something comforting about noodles.”
Faith Mason Vegetable Chow Mein
Ingredients
100g egg noodles
Olive oil, for sautéing
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large spring onions, cut into batons
150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Salt (optional)
Method
:: Place the noodles in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
:: In a frying pan, sauté the red onion, garlic and spring onions in a little olive oil over a medium heat for about 8 minutes until the onion softens.
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:: Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté just long enough to wilt it. Add the cooked noodles and mix all the ingredients together.
:: Finally, add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix well. Season with a little salt if desired before serving.
King Prawn Red Curry
Serves: 2 | Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 20 mins
“Red curries are another staple Thai favourite and I absolutely adore them,” says Pinnock. “Seafood is the perfect match for a red curry, but really, you could use anything. Chicken, tofu or mixed veg will all work great too.”
Faith Mason King Prawn Red Curry
Ingredients
For the paste:
2 teaspoons each ground
Cumin and ground
Coriander
4 red bird’s-eye chillies, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
3 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
4cm piece of ginger or galangal root, peeled and chopped
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves or the finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 shallots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
Stalks from 80g bunch of fresh coriander
2 tablespoons fish sauce
For the curry:
Coconut oil, for frying
300g raw king prawns, shells removed
400ml can coconut milk
200ml fish stock
2 handfuls of baby spinach
Brown rice, to serve
Method
:: Place the paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a smooth, aromatic paste.
:: Heat a little coconut oil in a large pan, add the curry paste and fry for around 10 minutes until it has become much darker and less pungent.
:: Add the coconut milk and stock, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the prawns and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until they are cooked.
:: Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Serve with cooked brown rice.
We all work hard to earn our money – so it shouldn’t feel like hard work to spend it well. At HuffPost Finds we’ll help you find the best stuff that deserves your cash, from the ultimate lipstick to a durable iron to replace the one that broke (RIP). All our choices are completely independent but we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Keir's Looking At You, Kid: Labour Leader Hopeful Vows To 'Set Sights On Every Voter In UK'

Peter Summers via Getty Images
Labour leader hopeful Keir Starmer has pledged that “our sights will be on every person in the UK” as he fights to win back voters who have abandoned the party.
The shadow Brexit secretary has pledged to defend “Labour’s radical values” and “pursue Boris Johnson relentlessly in parliament” as he fights to win back voters across the country if he becomes party leader.
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Starmer, the current frontrunner in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn will formally launch his campaign on Saturday at an event in Manchester.
He is seen as the main challenger to Rebecca Long Bailey, the favourite of the current leadership, who has pitched herself as the most explicitly pro-Corbyn candidate.
The shadow Brexit secretary has moved to try and win the support of all wings of the party.
Simon Fletcher, a former campaigns chief for Corbyn, has been taken on as strategic adviser. But Starmer has also hired Matt Pound, from the anti-Corbyn group Labour First.
Starmer currently has the most nominations from MPs and easily reached the threshold of 22 required to make it on to the ballot of party members. As of Friday he had the backing of 63 MPs.
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Speaking ahead of the event tomorrow, Starmer said the party had to win back people who had “lent their votes to the Conservatives” in the north of England and elsewhere.
“If elected leader, I will pursue Boris Johnson relentlessly in parliament. We will connect our opposition in parliament to Labour’s mass movement and to the wider forces in our country who do not want five more years of Tory misrule,” he said in a statement.
“And we will bind that together with an electoral strategy that focuses tirelessly on getting Labour back into government.”
Starmer added: “My campaign will be about defending Labour’s radical values and winning for the majority in 2024 – not either one without the other.
“Labour wins when it glimpses the future. That must be our focus over the course of this campaign.
“The challenge for Labour today is to defend our values, retain our radicalism, and to make that relevant to people’s everyday lives. People desperately need and want us to win.
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“Our sights will be on every person in the UK whose support we need to win back. England, Scotland and Wales, in towns and cities alike. And in fighting this internal election we must not lose our focus on the elections this spring.”
Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips have also all secured the 22 backers required to continue in the leadership race.
As of Friday, Long-Bailey had 26 supporters, Wigan MP Nandy has 24 and Phillips has 22.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Harry Dunn Case: Home Office Formally Requests Extradition Of Anne Sacoolas

The Home Office has formally requested the extradition of 42-year-old US citizen Anne Sacoolas over the death of teenager Harry Dunn, pictured. Press Association Images
The Home Office has formally requested the extradition of US citizen Anne Sacoolas over the death of teenager Harry Dunn.
The 19-year-old was killed in August when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.
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Following the crash, 42-year-old Sacoolas – the wife of a US diplomat –left the UK and returned to the USA, claiming diplomatic immunity.
In a statement on Friday night, a Home Office spokesman said: “Following the Crown Prosecution Service’s charging decision, the Home Office has sent an extradition request to the United States for Anne Sacoolas on charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
“This is now a decision for the US authorities.”
It comes after the CPS charged Sacoolas in December.
A spokesman for Dunn’s family told BBC News the move was a “monumentally large step in the right direction”.
The teenager’s parents “feel that it is a huge step towards achieving justice for Harry and making good on the promise that they made to him on the night he died that they would secure justice for him,” Radd Seiger said.
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“Despite the unwelcome public comments currently emanating from the US administration that Anne Sacoolas will never be returned, Harry’s parents, as victims, will simply look forward to the legal process unfolding, as it must now do, confident in the knowledge that the rule of law will be upheld.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Love Island's Laura Whitmore On Working With Iain Stirling: ‘I Pray He’s Scared Enough Of Me Not To

Love Island's Laura Whitmore On Working With Iain Stirling: ‘I Pray He’s Scared Enough Of Me Not To Say Anything He Shouldn’t’

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It’s not just the 12 new contestants who will be taking their first steps into the Love Island villa when the new series kicks off this weekend, as new host Laura Whitmore is sharing those same nerves as she prepares to take the helm of the show.
Laura is taking over from Caroline Flack, who announced last month that she was standing down for the first-ever winter run, having been charged with assaulting her boyfriend.
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While she is no stranger to TV, having hosted I’m A Celebrity spin-off show Get Me Out Of Here Now! and short-lived reality series Survival Of The Fittest, her new role will mark a telly-first for her – working with her other half, the show’s hilarious narrator Iain Stirling.
After jetting out to Cape Town in South Africa earlier this week, Laura spilled all on trying to rein-in her boyfriend’s one liners as we sat down for a chat with her inside the spectacular new Love Island villa...
Laura Whitmore is the new host of Love Island ITV
She’s not looking forward to navigating all the stairs in the new villa when doing the slow-mo walk
“How am I going to make that look nice?!” she says. “I’m not trying to overthink it too much.”
She’s going to be just as protective over the Islanders as Caroline was
“I think you’d have to be very cold to not become attached or protective,” Laura explains. “We forget that they’re real people. We’re watching it as a show, but it’s not Coronation Street – these people are real and their emotions are real.”
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She’s also already had some experience of offering comfort to contestants too
“When Amy Hart came out of the villa last year [she left after being unable to watch ex Curtis Pritchard cracking on with other people], I was in Mallorca visiting Ian and I was at the airport flying back and I bumped into her. I was starstruck and went up to her and said, ‘I just want to say what you did was incredible’. But I didn’t realise she hadn’t spoken to anyone since she came out or even really seen the reaction.
“I gave her a hug and when I saw her afterwards she told me I had no idea what that meant. She didn’t know everyone was on her side, and it was nice for her to see that.”
Laura had Caroline’s blessing to host the show before even being asked to
Laura reveals that the show’s former presenter got in touch as soon as she announced she was standing down to tell Laura she was her first choice to get the gig.
“It’s not ideal and Caroline has been incredible,” she says.
“She messaged me before ITV contacted me and said that she really hoped I got the role. She said, ‘I know how much of a fan you are of the show’. I just thought that was so lovely.”
Laura also said she asked bosses if she could speak to Caroline again after being offered the role, so she did not find out the news in the press first.
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She adds: “I’m so happy to do the show, but I just wish it was in a different situation.”
Laura is replacing Caroline Flack, who stood down from this series of Love Island David M. Benett via Getty Images
And when she was offered the job, she had to have a serious conversation with boyfriend Iain
Laura says that there was some thinking to do when ITV offered her the role, as Love Island has traditionally been her boyfriend Iain’s show, and the pair needed to think about how being seen working together might affect their relationship.
“We’ve always been very private,” she says. “I know we’ve been together a few years and we put stuff up on Instagram, but you can kind of control that, and this is obviously such a big show.
“Love Island is like other TV shows I’ve worked on in the past, it’s working with ITV, so for me, I felt very comfortable with the role in a presenting capacity.
“If we weren’t together, we’d do the show, so we don’t want that to stop us from doing the show.”
She’s now dreading what Iain will say about her in his voice-over
Iain is known for his tongue-in-cheek narration, and while Laura is fully expecting him to be cheeky, she has issued him with a warning.
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She says: “The problem is I record my bit doing the coupling up and stuff, then I fly back to London. Then he does his job, so I’m not going to even be in the same country.
“All over Christmas, he was on his phone to Mark who he co-writes with and I asked what he was talking about, and he said, ‘That’s for me to know and you to find out’.
“I just have to pray that he’s scared enough of me not to say anything he shouldn’t.”
Laura with boyfriend Iain Stirling David M. Benett via Getty Images
However, he has been helping to come up with new names for the Flack Attacks
Caroline’s unannounced visits to the villa had become known as Flack Attacks over the years, but with the presenter no longer on the show, it’s left everyone scratching their heads to come up with a new name – although it seems Iain may already have that covered.
“I know there’s a note in his phone with different ideas of what he’s going to come out with, which I pray is good,” Laura says.
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When we suggest the Whitmore Walk-In, she laughs: “That’s good, I’ll take that!”
She won’t meet the Islanders before they go in – but she already has a favourite
“I’ve watched the packages, so I’ve seen them all chatting about themselves, and Siânnise I really like,” she says of the Bristolian beauty consultant. “All of them seem great.
“But it’s when they all get together and those relationships and interaction that really makes the difference and you see their true colours.”
Siannise Fudge is Laura's early favourite ITV
Aftersun is the part of the job she’s most excited about to
“Live television is my favourite thing,” Laura says. “I do a live radio show, I’ve worked on the I’m A Celeb after show which was crazy, I’ve done the Brits red carpet live. If you can interview musicians drunk, live, you can do anything.
“So Aftersun is what I’m really looking forward to, as that’s me in my happy place.”
She’s planning to plant plenty of trees to offset all the flights she will be taking
With Laura taking the 13-hour flight to Cape Town at various points throughout the series, needing to return to London to host her BBC 5Live show each Sunday and Aftersun each Monday, she is going to be racking up those airmiles.
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But the environmentally-conscious star will be making up for all that time in the sky.
“I’m going to plant lots of trees to offset my carbon footprint,” she says. “I’ve been looking at this website to see how many trees I need to plant – and it’s a lot!”
Laura will also be hosting spin-off show Aftersun ITV
The South African heat is going to be tricky for her
With temperatures hitting over 30 degrees as filming began this week, Laura admits she’s not sure how she will be coping in the sun.
“I don’t know how to deal with the heat – I’m Irish!” she says. “I burn a lot, I sweat a lot.”
Better get laying on that factor 50.
And her advice for the contestants?
“Sometimes you find it where you least expect it – it may not be the person who you initially think,” she laughs, as she thinks about her own relationship.
“Me and Iain met a while before we went on a date or anything like that, he was just around and would message me these messages. He texted me once asking me what kind of dog I had, to which I replied a maltipoo, and that was it – that was him flirting.
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“Nine months later, I realised. I just thought it was him being weird.”
Love Island begins on Sunday at 9pm on ITV2.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Manchester City Fans Given Five Year Football Ban Over Racist Abuse

One of the men made a racist comment towards Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling Daniel Chesterton/Offside via Getty Images
Two Manchester City fans have been banned from football for five years and given lifetime bans from the club after admitting to using racist language during a match against Bournemouth.
Ian Baldry, 58, from Bradford, made a racist comment towards City winger Raheem Sterling as he celebrated scoring a goal in a home game against Bournemouth in December 2018, PA reported.
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Meanwhile, his friend 57-year-old James McConnell was heard making racist remarks about two match stewards at the same game at the Etihad Stadium.
Witnesses described McConnell, who lives in Levenshulme, as being drunk and abusive throughout the first half and regularly using foul language to insult the players on the pitch, Greater Manchester Police said.
He went on to make a comment about the race of a Bournemouth player, reportedly defender Tyrone Mings.
A fellow fan confronted McConnell about his behaviour and later reported him to stewards.
McConnell – of Newdale Road – was also spotted shouting similar comments at a Manchester City player who took a corner at a home game against Newcastle United two months earlier, said police.
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On Friday, both men were sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court after they pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated public order.
Baldry – of Bradley Street – was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, while McConnell was told to complete 250 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Two football fans that used racist language during a match have been sentenced.
James McConnell (2/5/62), of Newdale Road, Levenshulme, and Ian Baldry (25/5/61), of Bradley Street, Bradford, were sentenced earlier at Manchester Magistrates Court.https://t.co/ZKPtbMmOkJ pic.twitter.com/WXagUrYzpA — Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) January 10, 2020
Following sentencing, Detective Constable Chris Preston said: “There are few words that can be used to describe the behaviour of McConnell and Baldry during this incident but their actions were absolutely disgusting.
“For them to brazenly and loudly use racist language in front of numerous other spectators as though it was completely normal is astonishing.
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“The fact that they were quite happy to also racially abuse players from the team they claim to support just goes to show the close mindedness of these individuals, and I want to pay tribute to those fans who identified what was happening and raised the issue with a nearby steward.
“Racism at football matches simply will not be tolerated by Greater Manchester Police and we are prepared to take positive action against anyone seeking to take part in this kind of behaviour.”
In a statement, Manchester City said: “Following the sentencing of Ian Baldry and James McConnell at Manchester Magistrates’ Court and in line with Manchester City’s zero tolerance approach to discrimination, lifetime bans have been issued by the club.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Why It’s Time To Stop Talking About ‘Labour’s NHS’

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Sign up now to get The Waugh Zone, our weekday evening politics briefing, by email.
Speak your wait machine
Most of the contenders to be Labour leader nod their head solemnly when asked if there should be a root and branch look at the party’s failures in the 2019 election. Yet so far, there’s been precious little attention given to Jeremy Corbyn’s weakness on what he thought was his strongest card: the NHS.
Not a day went by without Corbyn claiming the Tories would privatise the health service or somehow sell it off to American private companies. “Not for sale!” went the chant from his most avid supporters wherever he went. Talking to many of them on the campaign trail, they genuinely believed it to be true, despite the lack of hard evidence.
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What was really curious was how Labour’s entire election campaign seemed to be based on Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, ‘Trump’s Plan For The NHS’, that was aired days after the election began. The clue lay in the title: yes, Dispatches did some excellent work highlighting that trade officials had discussed what Trump wanted on drug pricing, but there was no smoking gun showing Tory ministers would give him what he wanted.
During the campaign, we hacks were summoned to a morning press conference and told there would be a dramatic revelation. Corbyn and shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner (rather significantly, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth wasn’t invited and seemed totally kept out of the loop) waved around 451 pages of ‘secret’ papers detailing the talks with the US. But again there was precious little in the way of hard evidence.
It’s true that at some moments during the campaign the Tories were worried about the cut-through of the ‘NHS for sale’ claim. But with Boris Johnson promising his own plans to pump billions into the system, he appeared to neutralise the issue. One of the most shocking polls of the entire election was the YouGov finding that Johnson was as equally trusted on the NHS as Corbyn (both on 27%).
Our own HuffPost/Edelman focus group of swing voters in Watford found they simply didn’t believe that any party would be stupid enough to privatise the NHS. Like many other Corbyn pledges, they found it simply not credible.
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And yet what really did cause the only real panic in Conservative ranks was the Mirror and Yorkshire Press story (note, not anything Labour itself came up with) about four-year-old Jack Williment sleeping on the floor of a Leeds hospital because of a shortage of beds. But it was the final week of the campaign and was ultimately washed away by the Johnson landslide.
But just imagine if - instead of the ‘NHS for sale’ claim - Corbyn and Ashworth had spent the campaign, indeed had spent the previous year, talking repeatedly about the many other instances of the human cost of the crisis in A&E. It seemed Labour forgot that the real, lived experience of voters is often much more powerful than theorising about a future threat. And with the Tories in power for nearly a decade, it was the most powerful reminder that Johnson’s party was responsible.
It was years of Tory underfunding of the NHS that ensured so much impact for Tony Blair’s ‘24 hours to save the NHS’ line on the eve of 1997 polling day. And, crucially, it was waiting lists that were the key to making a direct connection to millions of voters of all party backgrounds. Not for nothing was one of Blair’s pledgecard pledges (a digestible 5 pledges, rather than 50) to cut NHS waiting lists by treating an extra 100,000 patients.
This week, both the scale of the crisis in the NHS - and the scale of Labour’s failure to capitalise on it - were highlighted starkly by the latest A&E figures. They weren’t just bad. They were catastrophically bad, tectonic-plate shifting bad. Look at this chart (hat-tip to the ever-brilliant Health Service Journal) showing how the number of patients meeting the four-hour target has fallen off a cliff this December. 100,000 people left waiting on trolleys is a hell of an indictment of any government.
The target of 95% of patients being seen within four hours was introduced by Labour in 2004, but hasn’t been met since 2015. And this isn’t an academic exercise. Longer waits on trolleys lead not to just more pain and discomfort but to more deaths. The NHS’s Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST) says anything less than 90% means that patients will be harmed.
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When the dire figures were raised at the Lobby briefing yesterday, the PM’s official spokesman read out a speak-your-weight-machine line that “winter is always challenging” for the NHS. He repeated the mantra that there would be a “record cash boost” for the health service, even though it’s not enough money to improve care and meet targets.
Don’t be surprised if the Tories now scrap (or tweak) the waiting targets to spirit this problem away even further from public view. Labour’s Jon Ashworth did indeed yesterday try to highlight what he called “a winter of abject misery for patients”. Yet maybe because Labour is so embroiled with its own leadership election, maybe because of sheer political fatigue, it seemed no one was listening.
The voters certainly weren’t listening to Corbyn last month. And perhaps one really useful lesson of that election is that Labour should now stop talking about ‘our NHS’, at least in party terms. Because that phrase was often accompanied by a bromide pointing out a Labour government created the health service, it too often felt like Labour was saying that it - rather than the public - owned the NHS.
Whisper it quietly, but NHS staff vote Tory too. And in even greater numbers when the Opposition lacks credibility.
Quote Of The Day
“I can’t help but think, ‘You can’t lie to your family; how could I ever trust you?’”
Jess Phillips on Boris Johnson’s marital infidelity
Friday Cheat Sheet
Sinn Féin have said they will re-enter devolved government in Northern Ireland after three years of deadlock. The DUP had earlier also given a cautious welcome to a draft deal to restore Stormont’s political institutions. The PM called it ‘a great step forward’.
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Deputy Labour leadership contender Clive Lewis has suggested there should be a “referendum on the future of the Royal Family”.
Former Tony Blair chief of staff Jonathan Powell told the Institute for Government’s podcast that Dominic Cummings would not be in government by the end of the year, joking he may “end up like Rasputin in the River Neva in chains”.
A YouGov poll found that 42% of the public would give Jeremy Corbyn ‘0 out of 10’ for his leadership. Which is very close to the 43% who voted Tory last month.
What I’m Reading
Why Many Syrians Cheered The Death Of Soleimani - Haaretz
Looking To The Future In Bleak Times - Gary Younge, The Guardian
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--What It’s Like To Be An Iranian-American-Brit Right Now

What It’s Like To Be An Iranian-American-Brit Right Now
The world has expressed its shock after the recent crisis involving Iran and the US – but things get even more complicated when you’re an Iranian-American Brit. We spoke to Iranian-born filmmaker and British / American national Tina Gharavi, who expresses her fear at what growing hostility between the two nations could mean for her family. Tensions between the US and Iran have reached breaking point after Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike in Iraq.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--The History of US And Iran's Tense Relationship

The History of US And Iran's Tense Relationship
The statement “Iran and the United States do not get on” is perhaps one thing we can all agree on. What is less clear, however, is: why? Here’s a brief history of the tense relationship between the two countries.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Trump Officials Had No Idea When Or Where 'Imminent' Iran Attacks Would Happen

Q: Did you know the time and place of the attacks that were being planned?
O’BRIEN: We had very good intelligence that there was an imminent attack being planned.
Q: But time and place?
O’BRIEN: It was imminent. You know, you never know the time or place of these things with with perfect particularity. But we had very good information that there were imminent attacks planned against Americans in Iraq and potentially Syria. Both diplomats and soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines. I’ve seen the intelligence and it was it was incredibly strong intelligence. There are a lot of people that want that intelligence released. You know, look, I wish we could, but at the same time, we don’t want to compromise sources and methods that allow us to protect Americans.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Gym Box Slammed For 'Mocking' #MeToo By Suggesting Thai Boxing Will Deal With Your 'Sleazy Boss'

HuffPost UK
An advert for Gym Box has been accused of “mocking” the #MeToo campaign for suggesting people should learn Muay Thai to deal with sexual harassment.
The ad, which is plastered on billboards and the front of some of the chain’s gyms, features a step-by-step guide for customers, which reads: Sleazy boss -> Gym Box -> Muay Thai -> #Knee_to.
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A billboard featuring the ad was originally tweeted by Gal-dem journalist Moya Lothian-Mclean. “Are you kidding me? Gymbox advertising themselves by saying if you get sexually harassed at work... go work out,” she tweeted.
HuffPost UK visited our local Gym Box in Holborn, London, to see the enormous ad covering one side of the building.
Are you kidding me? Gymbox advertising themselves by saying if you get sexually harassed at work... go work out pic.twitter.com/wwZuLvYYrD — Moya Lothian-Mclean (@mlothianmclean) January 9, 2020
Julian Norman, from women’s rights group FiLiA, told HuffPost UK she believes the ad campaign “mocks” #MeToo.
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“While these adverts are no doubt meant to be tongue in cheek, they assume that a sleazy boss is a fact of life and remedied by physical violence – illegal, for anyone tempted. The answer to sleazy bosses is a shift away from predatory sexual culture, the type of culture shift prompted by the #MeToo campaign this advert mocks,” she said.
The ad that references #MeToo at Gym Box, Holborn, is flanked by a second ad that references gym-goers who have a “fetish for women’s clothes”.
HuffPost UK Gym Box
This is not the first time Gym Box has garnered controversy with its ads.
In 2009 the brand was investigated for leaflets that described a fitness class titled “Chav Fighting”. The ads escaped a ban. Then last year, the company was called “creepy” for telling customers to “get hot and sweaty with a teacher”.
It also raised eyebrows with an “Extinction” class, which boasted it would push gym-goers to their limit to “see if they could survive in a world plagued by irreversible climate change”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Northern Ireland's Government To Return Three Years After It Collapsed

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Northern Ireland’s devolved government is set to return to work – more than three years after it collapsed over the country’s “Cash for Ash” scandal.
On Friday, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald revealed the party had backed a deal to restore power-sharing at the Northern Irish parliament in Stormont.
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She said: “The Sinn Fein Ard Chomhairle has met today and has taken the decision to re-enter the power-sharing institutions and to nominate ministers to the power-sharing executive.
“We believe that the changes which have been achieved in the negotiations over the last year build on what was agreed in February 2019.”
It comes after the Democratic Unionist Party signalled its support for the deal, with Arlene Foster – the party’s leader – saying it was “ready to go back into the Assembly”.
In a statement, prime minister Boris Johnson called the news “a great step forwards for the people of Northern Ireland and for restoring public confidence in stable devolved government and delivering much needed reforms to public services”.
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This is a great step forwards for the people of Northern Ireland and for restoring public confidence in stable devolved Government and delivering much needed reforms to public services. — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 10, 2020
The Northern Ireland Assembly will meet at 1pm on Saturday, with the new ministerial executive – including first minister and deputy first minister – set to be elected.
Peace process structures mean the executive can only function with the inclusion of the largest unionist party – currently the DUP – and largest nationalist party in the region – Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arriving for talks to restore the Northern Ireland Powersharing executive at Stormont in Belfast PA Wire/PA Images
The wide-ranging deal – which was published by the UK and Irish governments on Thursday night – contains compromise solutions to the vexed disputes at the heart of the 36-month power-sharing impasse, such as legislative provisions for Irish language speakers.
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It also includes what the UK government has insisted will be a major treasury-funded financial package to tackle a host of acute problems facing a public sector that has been floundering amid the governance vacuum.
That includes a high-profile industrial dispute in the health service which on Friday saw nurses again walk out on strike.
Under the terms of the deal, the new executive will also take action to reduce spiralling hospital waiting lists; extend mitigation payments for benefit claimants hit by welfare reforms; increase the number of police officers on the beat; and resolve an industrial dispute involving teachers.
The last DUP/Sinn Fein-led coalition government collapsed in January 2017 over a row about a botched green energy scheme.
Later branded the “Cash for Ash” scandal, it was supposed to pay people a subsidy towards the cost of buying wood pellets to burn for fuel rather than dirtier materials such as coal.
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However, people were paid more than it actually cost to buy the pellets.
That row subsequently widened to take in more traditional wrangles on matters such as the Irish language and the thorny legacy of the Troubles.
Want to know more? Read: The Slightly Bonkers Reason Northern Ireland’s Government Has Done Nothing In Three Years


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Nora Quoirin's Family Tell Of Fight For Answers Over Her Death In Malaysian Jungle

Nora Quoirin pictured on a previous family trip to Asia two years ago Supplied
“Nora was always laughing and smiling. She had a great sense of humour. She liked quirky jokes – she would make plays on words that would make us all laugh.
“We just miss her so much.”
Meabh Quoirin is telling HuffPost UK about her daughter Nora, who was found dead in the Malaysian jungle in August.
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This week the family was told there would be no further investigation into a death they believe was extremely suspicious – not least because of Nora’s physical and mental difficulties.
In August last year, Nora was brimming with excitement as she and her family travelled to Malaysia for the trip of a lifetime.
Parents Meabh and Sebastien, along with Nora and her two siblings, had been to Asia once before, and were eager to return.
Nora, 15, was a sweet, shy and vulnerable teenager who had been born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly. Where some people would baulk at long journeys, she absolutely loved to travel.
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Challenged with significant physical and mental difficulties, Nora would rarely leave her mother’s side. She was so timid she would not leave the family’s London home to speak to the neighbours unless someone went with her.
Perhaps as a consequence of inhabiting a somewhat smaller world than most, her mother Meabh Quoirin told HuffPost UK, Nora was “incredibly curious about the world and in particular about all the different things people would eat in different countries. She absolutely loved that sense of discovery and freedom.”
Meabh Quoirin reads a statement at a news conference in Seremban, Malaysia, during the search for her daughter ASSOCIATED PRESS
She added: “Getting on planes and trains and incredibly long journeys are painful for most of us, but in her world, she loved every bit of it. She loved talking about it. It was probably one of the most vibrant levels of her levels of curiosity.
“Because otherwise, she couldn’t do hobbies that other children do, never mind children of her own age. She didn’t have a mobile phone. She couldn’t particularly interact with technology or anything like video games. She could read a little but at a very basic level. Her interests were simple and entirely centred around living and family life.”
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But excitement turned into panic for the Quoirins in August 2019 when Nora vanished from the holiday jungle resort in Dusun.
Ten days later, the panic became devastation when Nora’s body was discovered less than two miles away, naked and in an area that had already been searched by the Malaysian authorities.
An initial post-mortem examination found she had died from gastro-intestinal bleeding and an ulcer, likely brought on by starvation, stress, or both. Police in Malaysia said they have so far found no evidence of abduction or kidnapping.
The family still haven’t received the full report into Nora’s death – and on Friday received the news that no inquest would be held. The Malaysian authorities have classified Nora’s death as requiring “no further action” (NFA),
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Nora’s mother vowed the family would fight on.
She said: “We wish we weren’t having to call out in public for what we think is a fundamental basic human right for Nora but unfortunately it’s come to that.
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“We understand that an inquest demands resource – it’s not a benign request on our part – but we truly believe it’s a fundamental right of any citizen, in particular of a vulnerable citizen, to have that quest for the truth.
Nora pictured on the west coast of Ireland in 2018 Supplied
“We would expect that a modern country, a fully-fledged democracy such as Malaysia, would really want to show full transparency and their deputy prime minister in person gave us that promise.
“But unfortunately, that’s just not what we’ve experienced, hence the need for an inquest and hence the need for full diplomatic support from our governments. that’s critical at this stage.”
To Meabh and the rest of Nora’s family, the Malaysian police’s version of events is inconceivable. They say the vulnerable teenager simply woke up in the middle of the night, let herself out of the family apartment, went for a stroll and became fatally lost in the jungle.
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Meabh said: “She was incredibly, incredibly shy and cautious and had real mobility challenges. We just think it’s basically impossible for her to have negotiated complex jungle terrain.”
The family, which is being supported by the charity The Lucie Blackman Trust, has long felt there is compelling evidence that Nora was taken from the property and has been frustrated by the Malaysian police’s investigations.
She said: “There are various possible ways to explain how she got to where she got to. One primary being that she was taken from the property itself and that’s a first line of inquiry because Nora was sleeping in a mezzanine which meant that the access to her, or for her to leave the building, was actually difficult. It was a complicated staircase that she would have struggled with, particularly with no light available.
“So that’s the first matter. The second is Nora never got up in the middle of the night, never ever, and we just don’t believe that suddenly just because she was in a different place that she would have. It would have happened for the first time.”
A member of a rescue team using a sniffer dog during the search for Nora ASSOCIATED PRESS
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On the morning of Nora’s disappearance, the family found a downstairs window in their villa wide open. It was later revealed the mechanism was broken, meaning it could have been opened from outside even if the family had thought it was locked.
Meabh told the HuffPost a full forensics team was not assembled at the scene until days after Nora disappeared, “meaning it’s impossible for them to have really make any serious conclusions about that”.
She added: “It’s going to be very difficult to explain everything but Nora deserves the truth and we deserve to know as much as we can possibly find out and we’re determined to stand up for justice in her name.”
What the family do know is that there was no evidence Nora had been abducted or raped, and that her body bore no visible signs of violence. Malaysian authorities have stated she probably died between two and four days before she was found. Her funeral service was held at St Brigid’s church in south Belfast in September, the church where she was baptised.
Meabh said: “The most important factor to take into consideration which we believe the Malaysians are really ignoring is actually who Nora was. We are not dealing with a 15-year-old who was like any other 15-year-old.
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“One thing that is fundamental to us is that people don’t often see past people’s disabilities. We don’t listen to the voices of children with special needs.
“Nora made a huge contribution. She was really the tutor at home, teaching us all to be slightly better, nicer people, to be more patient, to be more kind and accepting of everyone. All those things that we all talk about in theory but when you live with someone who dictates that in practice it’s the most wonderful experience.
“It’s quite clear that Nora has touched the world in this tragedy. Her dad and I are absolutely passionate [that] the legacy, the gift that she was to all of us must absolutely live on. Who would we be if we weren’t fighting for justice for her today?”
Nora’s family last month asked the Irish department of foreign affairs for assistance in their quest for answers over the teenager’s death.
A spokesperson said it would “continue to provide ongoing consular assistance in this case.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Linda Robson Details Battle With Anxiety, Depression And Severe OCD On Loose Women Return

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Linda Robson has revealed she took a year off from Loose Women after a suffering with depression, anxiety and severe OCD.
The 61-year-old former panellist hadn’t been seen on the ITV daytime show since December 2018, but returned as a guest on Friday’s show to tell of her recent experiences.
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The Birds Of A Feather star told Kaye Adams, Stacey Solomon, Nadia Sawalha and Jane Moore: “I was having a meltdown. I came off the wine [as part of a sugar free diet], and I used to take a tablet to help me sleep every night. When I came off the wine, I upped the tablet, and then I got concerned about taking the tablet.
Linda Robson returned to Loose Women on Friday Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
“So I went to see somebody about it and they gave me a tablet - I won’t mention the name but I had a really bad reaction to it, a proper meltdown.
“I got really bad anxiety, really bad depression, and my OCD kicked into overdrive.“
Linda revealed she was taking four baths each day as she suffered with her obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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She added: “At one point, I was having four baths a day, I was washing my bedding every day.
“People joke when they hear someone saying about OCD they think it’d a bit of a joke or whatever, but it’s not actually a joke, it took over my life. I couldn’t clean everything enough.”
Linda was supported by her co-stars as she opened up on the show Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Talking about the police turning up to her house following an incident last year, she said: “Yeah they were called. Because I was drinking, they [the family] were locking me in, so I couldn’t get out and then I was shouting through the door, ‘Someone let me out!’ And then the police were called because they thought I’d been kidnapped. That was my family trying to keep myself. Now, touch wood, I’m off the alcohol completely.”
Linda said she had been drinking to “self-medicate” before seeking treatment, and now hasn’t touched alcohol in 11 months.
Commenting on her recovery, Linda said: “If you’d ever told me, I’d always been really positive. [There’s been no quick fix], it’s been a long, long time. Touch wood, I’m finally there!“
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Back in October, she confirmed she would be back on the panel show and was excited to return.
Linda said at the time: ”[I can’t wait for] the gossip in the green room and our little chats. That’s my favourite part - things you never see on air.”
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--The Slightly Bonkers Reason Northern Ireland's Stormont Government Has Done Nothing In Three Years

Stormont, the home of government in Belfast. Benjiecce via Getty Images
Three years ago, the Northern Ireland Assembly fell out in an argument over – believe it or not – wood pellets.
More specifically, a scheme involving burning wood pellets as fuel that some people were abusing, allowing them to make a profit simply by heating their homes.
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When the scandal became public, one prominent minister refused to resign, leading another to resign in protest, leading to the collapse of Stormont and a weird political limbo that would paralyse the country until today.
After much negotiating – during which time civil servants have been largely left to fend for themselves while Westminster sets the country’s budget – things could be resolved on Friday if the main parties finally sign off on a draft agreement tabled by the UK and Irish governments.
Here’s how we got here...
The scandal
The drama in question was the delightfully-dubbed Cash for Ash scandal, or, to give it its actual name, the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.
This was supposed to be an environmental scheme whereby people were paid a subsidy towards the cost of buying wood pellets to burn for fuel rather than dirtier materials such as coal.
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But the scheme had one rather massive flaw – due to some shoddy oversight, it paid out more than it actually cost to buy the pellets, meaning it didn’t take much for those in the scheme to fill their stoves and their wallets.
The minister who didn’t resign
In charge of the scheme was then-minister for enterprise, trade and investment, Arlene Foster of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). You might remember Foster and her party from such political positions as “gay people can’t get married”, “you don’t really need that abortion” and “line dancing is sinful so step away from that cowboy”.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite being in charge of the scheme and costing Northern Ireland half a billion pounds, Foster – who was now first minister – refused to resign, saying if she did then it would “have led to the conclusion that I was guilty of something improper which is not the case”.
The minister who did resign
Every good scandal needs a resignation or two and, seeing as Foster was refusing to do so, Sinn Fein leader and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness decided they would instead – in protest.
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The thing is, Northern Ireland’s government is set up in quite a delicate manner given the country’s tumultuous past and ongoing tensions between loyalists and republicans.
Sinn Fein and the DUP were a power-sharing executive who ran the devolved government, so when McGuinness resigned and his party refused to nominate a replacement, the whole thing came tumbling down, destroying the relationship between the erstwhile coalition partners in January 2017.
The fallout
As it turned out, Sinn Fein and the DUP disagreed about a lot of different things and the row over Cash for Ash sparked a range of further disputes over traditional issues that had, until that stage at least, not boiled over to threaten the stability of the executive.
Sinn Fein deputy leader Martin McGuinness passed away in 2017. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The ideological gloves were off and a wrangle over proposed legislation for Irish language speakers and the region’s ban on same-sex marriage soon emerged as further roadblocks in the path of a return to restoring the government.
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Ironically, the Cash for Ash scandal that sparked the whole mess was soon forgotten about and has barely registered since during negotiations.
The political limbo
The power-sharing impasse created a slow-burning crisis in Northern Ireland’s public services.
With no elected ministers and the government reluctant to reintroduce direct rule, civil servants have been left to run departments in a strange governance limbo-land. The situation has been getting gradually worse over three years as more and more decisions have been left untaken, PA Media reports.
But the situation has reached tipping point in recent weeks. Workers in the region’s struggling health service embarked on industrial action to highlight problems such as pay, spiralling waiting lists and staffing shortages.
There is little doubt the intense focus on the problems facing the health service has lit a fire under politicians’ feet, providing further impetus to get back round the negotiation table.
The agreement
Northern Ireland could witness a return to power-sharing on Friday if the main parties sign off on a draft agreement tabled by the UK and Irish governments.
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There are still hurdles to overcome, however. Same-sex marriage is no longer up for debate as a consequence of legislation passed by MPs at Westminster earlier this year that ended the prohibition, with the first marriages due in February.
Pro-choice activists taking part in a photo call in the grounds of Stormont last year. ASSOCIATED PRESS
But the Irish language remains a key logjam. Sinn Fein has consistently made a standalone Irish Language Act a prerequisite of any deal to restore devolution.
The DUP has expressed a willingness to legislate to protect the language, but only as part of broader culture laws which also include the Ulster Scots tradition.
So the row is essentially more about presentation than substance, as both sides agree to the principle of legislating to protect the language, but are at odds over what those laws are called and whether they are contained in a standalone bill or as part of a wider piece of legislation.
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Away from the language issue, there is an acknowledgement among all the parties that Stormont’s structures and practices require an overhaul. There is not yet consensus on the shape of those reforms, however.
One of the key issues that needs addressing is the controversial petition of concern voting mechanism. The mechanism, which enables large parties to effectively block change even if a majority of other MLAs agree to it, was a peace process construct designed to offer protections for minorities.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Jeremy Vine's 'Humour' Came From A Script And Required No 'Skill', Rules Tribunal

AFP Contributor via Getty Images
BBC TV star Jeremy Vine’s “attempts at humour came from a script” and did not “require any particular skill”, an employment tribunal has ruled.
On Friday presenter Samira Ahmed won her sex discrimination equal pay claim against the BBC. The journalist argued she was owed £700,000 in back pay.
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Ahmed took the corporation to the London Central Employment Tribunal, asking why she was paid £465 per episode of Newswatch while Vine was paid up to £3,000 for each episode of Points of View.
In its judgment, the tribunal dismissed the BBC’s argument the “lighter tone” of Points of View and the “occasional attempts to be humorous” meant that different skills were required to present it.
Samira Ahmed arrives at the Central London Employment Tribunal, Victory House, London PA Wire/PA Images
The BBC argued the presenter of Points of View had to have “a glint in the eye” and to be “cheeky”.
But tribunal said: “We had difficulty in understanding what the respondent meant by a ‘glint in the eye’ and how that translated into a ‘skill’ or ‘experience’ to do a job.
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“How does one acquire such a skill or experience?”
In its ruling, the tribunal added: “In any event, the light-hearted tone and any cheekiness were achieved primarily by the script being written in a particular style.
“The attempts at humour came from the script. Jeremy Vine read the script from the autocue. He read it in the tone in which it was written.
“If it told him to roll his eyes, he did. It did not require any particular skill or experience to do that.”
The 40-page judgment said the BBC failed to show there was a difference between the two programmes.
Responding to the decision, the BBC said that Ahmed “is an excellent journalist and presenter, and we regret that this case ever had to go to tribunal”.
A statement continued: “We’re committed to equality and equal pay. Where we’ve found equal pay cases in the past we’ve put them right.
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“However, for us, this case was never about one person, but the way different types of programmes across the media industry attract different levels of pay.”
Ahmed received support from public figures including broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, lawyer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-10--Australian Bushfires: Hundreds Of People Protest In Central London Over Response To Crisis

Extinction Rebellion protestors in London. Extinction Rebellion
Hundreds of people are protesting outside the Australian High Commission in central London over Canberra’s response to the bushfires and climate change.
Demonstrators gathered outside the building on the Strand at midday on Friday, blocking the road whilst holding placards such as “koalas not coal” and “denial is not a policy”.
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Organised by climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion, protestors are calling on Australian politicians to do more to protect citizens and wildlife from the ongoing crisis, as well as demanding action from leaders worldwide to prevent climate change.
Australia has suffered “unprecedented” bushfires for months, with at least 27 people and an estimated one billion animals killed.
Whilst flames have destroyed more than 2,000 homes and torn communities apart, thick smoke has covered vast swathes of the country – choking major cities such as Sydney and even drifting as far as New Zealand.
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Anna Moore, an NHS respiratory doctor, and mother of four who spoke at the protest said: “I spoke to a doctor in Sydney yesterday – they’re used to coping with bushfires but the scale of these fires is unprecedented. No one has seen this before.
“The fires are so widespread that for many people there is nowhere to go. People who need oxygen to breathe have no choice except to come into hospital because their oxygen supplies need power.
“Emergency departments are overwhelmed with people – especially babies and the elderly whose bodies just can’t cope with the heat.”
Extinction Rebellion is calling for a range of actions, including funding to pay all firefighters, relief and aid for affected communities, a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, and land and water sovereignty for indigenous communities.
Similar demonstrations are also expected to take place in Bristol, Lambeth and Sheffield, whilst dozens of other Extinction Rebellion groups are gathering in cities worldwide.
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Following today's action @Barclays in Sheffield City Centre we're holding a vigil outside Sheffield Town Hall for Australia and all the lives lost, both human and animal, as a result of the wildfires. #AustraliaOnFire #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/BSHl3mSlHX — Extinction Rebellion Sheffield (@XRShef) January 10, 2020
At least 100 demonstrators are here in front of the Australian Embassy in Berlin to tell @ScottMorrisonMP to #StopAdani and tell the truth on the #AustralianFires link to the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/yDWqqz0dY2 — Extinction Rebellion Berlin 🌍 (@XRBerlin) January 10, 2020
Spent my lunch hour protesting outside New Zealand's Parliament today.The fact that smoke from the Australian bush fires reached us here shows addressing climate change is *urgent.*Protest is every Friday 12.30-1.30. I encourage other Wellingtonians to join me. #FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/8egG07ZRvF — Amanda Reilly (@AmandaReillyNZ) January 10, 2020
Thousands of people also demonstrated major cities across Australia, calling for their government to boost the response to the fires and call for action on climate change.
Amongst them were protestors demanding the resignation of Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, who has been fiercely criticised for his response to the ongoing disaster.
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Looks like Sydneysiders are fed up with our governments inaction on climate change. Huge turn out at Town Hall. #SackScoMo pic.twitter.com/kV6HoK49w2 — Sharon F (@sharonfajou) January 10, 2020
Australians living in the south-east of the country have been warned that the risk of fires spreading could increase over the coming days, as temperatures increase and winds pick up once again.
Whilst some rain is set to arrive in parts of the nation, some of the worst-affected areas have been issued with severe weather warnings and in some cases have been advised to evacuate as soon as possible.