thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Officials Investigating Death Of Football Legend Diego Maradona

FILE PHOTO: People walk past a graffiti of soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 27, 2020. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes REUTERS
Justice officials in Argentina are investigating the death of football legend Diego Maradona, Reuters reported.
A search of properties belonging to his personal doctor was ordered by officials on Sunday, a local prosecutor’s office said according to the news agency.
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Maradona died at age 60 of a heart attack on Wednesday.
The search order was requested by prosecutors in the affluent Buenos Aires suburb San Isidro and signed by a local judge, according to a statement issued by the prosecutor’s office.
“Yesterday (Saturday) the investigation and substantiation of evidence continued with the taking of statements from people including direct relatives of the deceased,” it said.
“By virtue of the evidence that was collected, it was considered necessary to request searches at the home and office of doctor Leopoldo Luque,” the prosecutor’s office said in the statement.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Mother Who Killed Six Of Her Children In Arson Attack Freed After Eight Years In Jail

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A mother who killed six of her children in an arson attack has been freed after serving half of her 17-year jail term.
Mairead Philpott, then aged 32, was jailed in April 2013 after being found guilty of six counts of manslaughter alongside her husband and another defendant.
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Philpott, now aged 39, is understood to have been released on Friday from HMP Send in Surrey to a hostel, where she will be supervised while on licence.
Her husband Mick Philpott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years after starting the fire at the couple’s home in Allenton, Derby, on May 11 2012.
Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, all died in the fire, while Duwayne, 13, died in hospital three days later.
The Philpotts appeared at a news conference five days after the blaze, in which they both sobbed, while Mick expressed disbelief at the deaths and thanked fire crews.
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Mick Philpott and wife Mairead speak to the media at Derby Conference Centre, Derby following the fire at their home. PA
A trial at Nottingham Crown Court was told Mick Philpott was the “driving force” behind the plot to start the house fire, and had intended to frame a former partner.
Passing sentence, Justice Thirlwall said that six young lives had been taken due to “callous selfishness”.
The judge told Mairead, who was ordered to serve half of her sentence before release, that she believed her grief was real but she should not have put her husband first.
“These were your children; your first responsibility, surely, was to them,” the judge told the court. “Instead you joined in with his plan.”
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Mairead later appealed against her sentence, but judges ruled the original term reflected the “immeasurable harm” she had caused.
Court of Appeal judges said petrol found on Mairead’s clothes showed she had participated in setting the fire, which had not been a “spur-of-the-moment” plan.
She had also lied after her arrest, the judges said, and continued to hide the truth during her trial.
File photo dated 04/04/13 of tributes outside the house in Allenton, Derby. PA
The Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire Pauline Latham said she was seeking assurances that the killer would not be permitted to return to the area.
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The MP said in a statement: “I am disgusted that this foul woman has her liberty while her daughter and five sons lie in their graves.
“Eight-and-a-half years in jail amounts to her serving less than 18 months for each of those poor children. How can that possibly be right?
“Those in charge of making these decisions need to think longer and harder about the victims and the value of their lives.
“In addition, this horrible crime is still very raw in Derby and I fear what would happen if she turned up in the city.
“Therefore, I am seeking assurances that she will not be returning to the area.”
The Centre for Crime Prevention described the release as “appalling” and called for killers to serve their full sentences for such crimes.
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Its research director David Spencer said: “The system of automatically releasing criminals like her half way through their sentence means that in cases like this justice is not being done.
“This needs to change. For crimes like these, those convicted need to serve their full sentence.”
The Sun on Sunday reported that the killer will be offered counselling and life coaching, and is set to be given a new identity at public expense.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--UK Secures 2m Extra Doses Of Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine

Photo illustration of a medical syringe and a vial depicting fake coronavirus vaccine seen in front of the Moderna US biotechnology company logo. SOPA Images via Getty Images
The UK has signed a deal for an extra 2m doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, which researchers say has an efficacy rate of almost 95%.
The new deal means Britain has now secured 7m doses of the American bio-tech company’s jab – enough to protect around 3.5m people.
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However, the trial vaccine must first be authorised for use in the UK before it can be rolled out.
If it is approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Moderna vaccine could start to be delivered to the UK as early as spring 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.
Business secretary Alok Sharma, said: “It is essential that we continue to bolster our portfolio of vaccine candidates to ensure we’re in the best possible position to protect the public once we see that breakthrough.
“The UK was one of the first countries in Europe to sign a deal with Moderna, and I’m delighted we have been able to secure a further 2 million doses of their promising candidate for the British public.”
The fresh deal means the UK has now secured early access to more than 357m coronavirus vaccine doses from seven different developers, government figures show.
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These include: 100 million doses of University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
40 million doses of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine
7 million doses of Moderna vaccine
60 million doses of Novavax vaccine
60 million doses of Valneva vaccine
60 million doses of GSK/Sanofi Pasteur vaccine
30 million doses of Janssen vaccine
The Oxford University/ AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax vaccines are all in phase three of clinical trials, while the Janssen vaccine is in phase two.
The GSK/Sanofi Pasteur jab – which the UK has secured 60m doses of – is in phase one clinical trials, while the Valneva vaccine is pre-clinical trials.
On Friday, the government revealed it had formally asked the UK medicines regulator to decide whether it would authorise the Oxford vaccine for temporary use.
It has also previously asked the agency to evaluate the Pfizer/Biotech jab.
News of extra doses of the Moderna jab comes just a day after it was announced that Boris Johnson had picked junior business minister Nadhim Zahawi to oversee the deployment of Covid-19 vaccines.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Tory MP Makes Jaws Drop With Tweet About Opening Nightingale Hospitals

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A Tory MP has been accused of “staggering” levels of ignorance after suggesting Nightingale hospitals and the NHS could be run at full capacity with a full staff to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
John Redwood, MP for Wokingham, made the clam in a tweet on Sunday despite long-running concerns about personnel shortages in the health service.
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The MP wrote: “Why not open and staff all the Nightingale hospital capacity they need for CV 19 cases and get the rest of the NHS back to full capacity for everything else?
“No need to scare us with the idea the NHS will not cope.”
Why not open and staff all the Nightingale hospital capacity they need for CV 19 cases and get the rest of the NHS back to full capacity for everything else? No need to scare us with the idea the NHS will not cope. — John Redwood (@johnredwood) November 29, 2020
According to a recent report by The Kings Fund, there is currently a shortfall of just under 84,000 workers across NHS hospitals, mental health services and community providers.
The report blamed “a prolonged funding squeeze combined with years of poor workforce planning, weak policy and fragmented responsibilities” while the Tories have been in power for the “workforce crisis”.
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This has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic as frontline health workers catch Covid-19 or are forced to self-isolate. Earlier this month it was reported 30,000 NHS staff were off as the country braced itself for the second wave of the virus.
Redwood’s tweet was met with widespread disbelief.
It’s genuinely staggering & angry-making that you’re this ignorant of the vast NHS shortage of staffing. You’ve been an MP for 30 years & this is the level you’re at? (Particularly given it’s a problem that’s only increased during the past decade of your party’s tenure) — Hannah Jane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) November 29, 2020
Staffed by who exactly? Last I heard there are 28,000 NHS staff off with Covid , isolating or off because children sent back from school. Where are the highly trained ICU nurses going to come from ? https://t.co/ivoZoJoyHg — Mark Austin (@markaustintv) November 29, 2020
Because we don't have enough trained staff due to 10 years of you underfunding the NHS, you fucking simpleton. https://t.co/hSNANjxjel — Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) November 29, 2020
Well John. You see, they need trained staff. https://t.co/SSupzWv1Wt — Deborah Meaden (@DeborahMeaden) November 29, 2020
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Redwood has been contacted for comment.
Elsewhere, Boris Johnson has warned there will be “disastrous consequences” if new tiered coronavirus restrictions aren’t introduced this week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Loose Women's Andrea McClean Quits Show After 13 Years

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Andrea McLean has tearfully announced she is leaving Loose Women after 13 years on the panel.
The presenter said she is leaving the ITV daytime show to focus on her website and lifestyle brand This Girl Is On Fire and will make her last appearance before Christmas.
Speaking to her fellow panellists Linda Robson, Brenda Edwards and Saira Khan, Andrea revealed how the pandemic had made her reflect on her life.
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Andrea McLean has announced she's leaving Loose Women ITV
She explained: “Like so many people this has been a time to hugely reflect and think back. So many people have been talking about how they can’t wait for life to get back to normal. I, like many people, did that and thought, ‘Do I want my life to go back to the normal that it was before?’
“Obviously last year I had a nervous breakdown and what I felt is that this year collectively the world has had a breakdown. The experience that I had has meant that this year that I have actually been mentally really strong to deal with everything that the pandemic threw at all of us but it made me stop and think, ‘What do I actually want?’”
She continued: “You get one life, are you living it the way that you want? And are you doing everything that you want to do? Are you being brave? Are you taking chances? And I realised, no.”
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Andrea shared some very emotional news with the #LooseWomen.
The whole Loose family is sending her so much ❤
Watch ➡ https://t.co/OQJh5NFFEV pic.twitter.com/G3ERcMp8ei — Loose Women (@loosewomen) November 30, 2020
Becoming emotional, Andrea added: “I didn’t think I was going to cry. I’ve told you ladies just before we came on air. I’m going to be leaving Loose Women because I want to be brave...all the incredible feedback that I had from my book and the support I was able to give them, I want to bring it to life.
“It was a really, really big decision to jump and see if I fall or if I fly. And I just thought, I will never know unless I try, so I am saying goodbye to Loose Women.”
Andrea insisted it was her decision to step away from the show, and said ITV had been “amazing” by actually offering to lighten her workload in order to keep her.
She said: “I have been anchoring Loose Women for 13 years now and I have been part of ITV daytime for 23 and actually the team have been so wonderful [saying] ‘Can we help, can we give you less days so you can focus on your business?’”
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Andrea will make her last appearance on the show before Christmas ITV
Linda Robson became choked up at the news, and said: “I am going to miss you so much, Andrea. Honestly you have been amazing and a real good friend to me. When I was going through my depression and everything, you were the one that was ringing all the time to see that I was okay.”
Loose Women editor Sally Shelford later thanked Andrea for her contribution to the show in a statement.
She said: “Andrea has been an important member of the Loose Women family for an incredible 13 years, sharing laughs, opinions, fun and friendship with our viewers. As well as being a much-loved anchor and friend, over the years she has been a passionate supporter of our award-winning Lighten the Load and Body Stories campaigns.
“We are very sad to say goodbye, but she will always be part of the Loose family and we wish her all the best for her exciting new chapter.”
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Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Glenn Close Savagely Shades Gwyneth Paltrow For Oscar Victory

“I honestly feel that to be nominated by your peers is about as good as it gets,” she said. “And then, I’ve never understood how you could honestly compare performances, you know?”
Her comments then took a turn.
“I remember the year Gwyneth Paltrow won over that incredible actress who was in Central Station and I thought, ‘What?’ It doesn’t make sense.”
“So, I think who wins has a lot of things to do with how things have been, you know, whether it has traction or whatever,” she continued. “Publicity, how much money did they have to put it out in front of everybody’s sight. I have to be philosophical about it.” (See the full interview below.)


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--This Morning Chef James Martin Shows Exactly How NOT To Make Soup With Blunder-Filled Cooking Segmen

This Morning Chef James Martin Shows Exactly How NOT To Make Soup With Blunder-Filled Cooking Segment

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This Morning has had its fair share of chaotic kitchen moments in 2020, with James Martin the latest chef to have things go a little off course on the daytime show.
He had hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield in stitches on Monday, after a mishap with a blender.
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The chef had been trying to create a cheese twist and cauliflower soup, but showed viewers exactly how NOT to do it.
James Martin had a nightmare while cooking on This Morning ITV
Having narrowly avoided a disaster after it boiled over on the hob, James took the soup over to a blender, but failed to secure the lid properly, whizzing it all over the kitchen in the studio.
“You’re having a really good day aren’t you?”, laughed Holly.
A clearly stressed James, then joked: “I’ve got a director in my ear saying I’ve got seven minutes, then six minutes, now I’ve got one minute apparently. Look at the state of this!”
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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were in stitches at the blunder ITV
But to add insult to injury, Phillip then questioned what “the brown skidmark” was on the top of the bowl of pre-prepared soup he was eating.
“I got up at five in the morning to come here!” James fumed, prompting yet more giggles from Holly and Phil.
James had been trying to create a cheese twist and cauliflower soup ITV/Shutterstock
Earlier this year, John Torode had a similar disaster on This Morning, when he didn’t realise he’d set a tea towel on fire during a live link-up from his home.
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This Morning regular Alison Hammond also made her debut in the kitchen, which turned out to be suitably hilarious.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Rita Ora And Laurence Fox Told To Follow Covid Rules Or Face Police Action

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Downing Street has warned celebrities flouting coronavirus rules such as Rita Ora and Laurence Fox that they could potentially face police action.
A No.10 spokesperson said prime minister Boris Johnson was “clear” that everyone needs to follow the restrictions, “including celebrities”, and stressing that “it’s up to police to decide what action to take” if they are broken.
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It came after pop singer Rita Ora reportedly broke lockdown rules by holding a 30th birthday party for 30 people at a west London restaurant on Saturday.
Meanwhile, controversial actor Laurence Fox was condemned on social media after boasting of having a “large group” over for lunch, where they “hugged, ate and put the world to rights”.
Singer Rita Ora Henry Nicholls / Reuters
When I read this tweet, I just think - what a total prat.. https://t.co/M9dFj0YxWY — Ed Balls (@edballs) November 29, 2020
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Asked if public figures need to set an example by following Covid restrictions, a No.10 spokesperson told reporters: “I think it’s important that everybody in society sets an example by following the rules, that is for every member of the public, including celebrities.”
Asked about Ora’s party, they said: “Throughout the pandemic we have been clear that it’s vital for everyone to abide by the rules in order to suppress the virus and reduce the transmission.
“Enforcement... is for the police and they will enforce the rules in an appropriate and proportionate manner.”
The spokesperson added on Fox: “The prime minister has been clear of the need for everybody across the country to continue to abide by the rules in order to reduce the transmission of the virus, but it’s up to police to decide what action to take.”
Ora later apologised, telling her Instagram followers she felt “particularly embarrassed” because she has first-hand knowledge of “how hard people have worked to combat this terrible illness”.
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The singer said: “I’m deeply sorry for breaking the rules and in turn understand that this puts people at risk.
“This was a serious and inexcusable error of judgment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Moderna Seeks Emergency Authorisation For Covid Vaccine In US And Europe

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US biotech company Moderna has said it will apply for emergency authorisation of its Covid-19 vaccine in the US and Europe.
It comes after trial results published by the company on Monday suggested the jab has a 94.1% efficacy rate – and a 100% success rate protecting against “severe Covid-19”.
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Moderna said it would request ‘emergency use authorisation’ from the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for the coronavirus vaccine, as well as conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
“We believe that we have a vaccine that is very highly efficacious,” Moderna’s chief medical officer Dr Tal Zaks told the Reuters news agency. “We expect to be playing a major part in turning around this pandemic.”
Zaks told reporters he was emotional after seeing the 94.1% result over the weekend.
“It was the first time I allowed myself to cry. At this level of effectiveness, when you just do the math of what it means for the pandemic that’s raging around us, it’s just overwhelming.”
News of Moderna’s plans comes the day after the UK government announced it had secured another 2m doses of the Moderna vaccine, bringing the country’s total to 7m doses – enough to vaccinate around 3.5m people.
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However, the trial vaccine must first be authorised for use in the UK before it can be rolled out.
(FILES) This file photo taken on November 18, 2020 shows a syringe and a bottle reading "Vaccine Covid-19" next to the Moderna biotech company logo. JOEL SAGET via Getty Images
If it is approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Moderna vaccine could start to be delivered to the UK as early as spring 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.
A spokesperson for the government said: “This is more promising news from Moderna. We were one of the first countries in Europe to agree a deal with them, pre-ordering 7 million doses of this vaccine, as part of our wider portfolio of 357 million doses that we have secured from seven different vaccine developers.
“Once the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) receives the full data from the company, it will begin to carry out its crucial, independent work to assess whether the vaccine meets robust standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.”
The government has already formally asked the MHRA to decide whether it will authorise the Oxford University/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/Biotech vaccines for temporary use.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Strictly Loses Audience Favourite While Anton Du Beke Gets The Cold Shoulder | Jive Talking

Strictly Loses Audience Favourite While Anton Du Beke Gets The Cold Shoulder | Jive Talking
This week saw Clara Amfo leave the dancefloor for the final time, as the fan favourite was voted out over Jamie Laing. Meanwhile HRVY's dance broke records and Maisie Smith put in a star performance after two weeks in the dance off.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Santa Does Not Need A Face Mask When Meeting Children At Grottos, No.10 Says

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Father Christmas will not need to wear a face mask when he is meeting children at grottos in England, Downing Street has said.
The government announced on Sunday that Santa’s grottos will be able to open in all tiers of local coronavirus restrictions once England’s lockdown ends on Wednesday, as long as the venues are permitted to open under the rules.
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And because Santas will be “operating in a Covid-secure way” they will not need to wear face masks when meeting children, No.10 said on Monday.
However, children will not be able to sit on Santa’s knee.
A Downing Street spokesperson told reporters: “We obviously know that meeting Father Christmas is a magical experience for children which is why he will be taking safety precautions, including ensuring he is operating in a Covid secure way but it won’t be required for Santa to wear a mask.”
Asked if children could sit on Santa’s knee, the spokesperson said: “We have set out the guidance in order that Santa can meet children in a Covid-secure way but no, that is not part of the guidance.
“It won’t be permitted to sit on his knee as part of the guidance.”
A Santa adjusts his glasses over a face mask as he attends a socially distanced Santa school training at Southwark Cathedral in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
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On Sunday, the government also confirmed that carol singing and nativity plays will also be allowed to go ahead, but with limited numbers and social distancing.
Door-to-door carol singers can spread their annual cheer – but only in groups of six and while keeping at least two metres away from “the threshold of any dwellings”. Where there are more than six people, the groups should not mingle or socialise, guidance states.
Participants are expected to follow social distancing by staying at least two metres apart from anyone who is not from the same household, and the same distance away from the door of the property outside which they are singing.
Indoor singing will also be allowed by choirs, but with no audience participation.
Indoor singing by professional and amateur choirs can take place according to the particular area’s tier, but audiences or congregations are not to join in “any activity that can create aerosols, including singing, shouting and chanting”, because they can increase the risk of Covid transmission.
School nativity plays will be allowed to go ahead “within existing school bubbles” and avoiding any mixing across groups.
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Audiences will only be allowed to attend in tier 1 and 2 areas – subject to “appropriate safeguards”.
For proud parents in tier 3, schools are advised to use live-streaming or record the performances.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Schitt's Creek Star Catherine O'Hara Hilariously Recreates Her Classic Home Alone Scene

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Catherine O’Hara has marked 30 years since the release of classic Christmas film Home Alone with an incredible TikTok video reprising her role.
The Canadian actor appeared as Kevin McCallister’s forgetful mum Kate in the 1990 movie, who accidentally leaves her son behind when the family jet off on a festive break.
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The moment Kate realises her momentous mistake is also repeated in the sequel Home Alone 2, which Catherine has reenacted on TikTok.
And the result is every bit as incredible as it is in the films...
I can’t stop watching this pic.twitter.com/DNOJOQ1V3Y — Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) November 29, 2020
Catherine is currently riding a huge wave of success following her starring role in Schitt’s Creek, where she appeared as the iconic Moira Rose.
The Canadian sitcom experienced an explosion in 2020 mainly thanks to a mixture of word of mouth during lockdown and its clean sweep at the Emmys, where Catherine picked up the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series gong.
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Many fans had only just discovered the link between Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone this year, leaving many of their minds blown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Welsh Pubs Must Shut At 6pm And Can't Sell Alcohol

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Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes across Wales will not be able to serve alcohol and must close by 6pm starting on Friday, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced.
Drakeford told a press conference on Monday that coronavirus was “accelerating across Wales” and modelling suggested another 1,600 people could also lose their lives over the winter period.
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The announcement comes just three weeks after the end of Wales’s 17-day firebreak lockdown and amid another rise in coronavirus cases particularly among under-25s in 17 of the country’s 22 local authorities.
Drakeford warned the gains achieved during the country’s firebreak were being eroded.
He said that unless action was taken now, the number of people with coronavirus in Welsh hospitals could reach 2,200 by January 12.
“From 6pm on Friday, our national measures will be amended to introduce new restrictions for hospitality and indoor entertainment attractions,” Drakeford said.
“Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will have to close by 6pm and will not be allowed to serve alcohol. After 6pm they will only be able to provide takeaway services.
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“From the same date, indoor entertainment venues, including cinemas, bingo halls, bowling alleys, soft play centres, casinos, skating rinks and amusement arcades, must close.”
Other national measures, such as household bubbles, will remain the same, as well as how many people can meet in public indoor or outdoors.
The restrictions will be formally reviewed by December 17 and then every three weeks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Fox News Host Pulls Apart Election Lies Trump Spouted On Network Hours Earlier

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Trump unloaded a stream of baseless claims about a rigged election in his first televised interview since the election to his devout Fox News ally Maria Bartiromo, who encouraged the allegations and allowed them to go largely unchallenged.
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But Fox weekend anchor Shawn pointed out on “America’s News Headquarters” that Trump’s campaign has failed to prove any of his accusations in court.
“In fact, your government, election officials, experts and others ― many of them Republican, including Trump appointed officials ― say that the president’s claims are false and unsubstantiated,” he told viewers.
He invited Axios political reporter Hans Nichols to help dismantle many of Trump’s claims, including that ballots counted after the initial tallies on election night were somehow fraudulent.
“Every swing state that we’re talking about, and they did these massive dumps of votes,” Trump said. “And all of a sudden, I went from winning by a lot to losing by a little.”
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“Well, officials say these are not illegal dumps,” Shawn said. “That’s just the counting of the many mail-in ballots that are entered into the computer system.”
Biden overtook Trump in several battleground states where Trump initially led on election night as absentee and mail-in ballots were counted in subsequent days, a standard and legitimate procedure.
Trump also asserted that President-elect Joe Biden couldn’t possibly have received more votes than former President Barack Obama.
“It seems that we have a president who, he can’t wrap his brain or mind around the fact, he can’t process the fact that someone who he thinks is so inferior to him won the election,” Shawn said.
Trump’s allies at Fox News, including Bartiromo and prime-time opinion hosts, helped him amplify false claims of election fraud. But some members of the network’s hard news division pushed back and fact-checked the unsubstantiated assertions.
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Shawn participated in a similar segment two weeks ago after Bartiromo gave airtime to Trump lawyers who peddled conspiracy theories about voter fraud.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Here's What Happens To The Tier System In England Over Christmas

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People have been left slightly confused as to what they can and can’t do over the Christmas break – as confirmation that Christmas bubbles will still be allowed was followed by updated tier restrictions in England this week.
While some regions have been moved down a tier, an emergency review placed London and parts of Essex into tier 3 along with large parts of the country.
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Can you travel between tiers to meet the other households in your Christmas bubble? And can you dine out with them at a restaurant or pub for Christmas lunch? Do the tier rules even apply over Christmas?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a Christmas bubble?
In the UK from 23 December to 27 December, you can choose to form a Christmas bubble if you’d like to see other members of your family, regardless of what tier they’re in.
However, mixing with other households over Christmas is not without risks – it will increase your risk of catching Covid-19 and passing it on to others. As Boris Johnson has now said, a smaller and shorter Christmas will be a safer one.
There are four key things to remember when making a Christmas bubble:
You can only be in one Christmas bubble
You cannot change your Christmas bubble
Your Christmas bubble should not include people from more than three households (and people who are part of a support bubble already count as one household in this limit).
Children (under-18) whose parents do not live together may be part of both parents’ Christmas bubbles, if their parents choose to form separate bubbles.
VICUSCHKA via Getty Images
Where can Christmas bubbles meet?
Your Christmas bubble will be able to spend time together in private homes, to attend places of worship, or meet in a public outdoor place – this is the case across the whole of the UK.
But this means if you usually plan to eat at a restaurant or pub over Christmas, you’ll need to stick to your own household bubble (unless the tier you’re in specifies otherwise) and not see others for that part of the day – or you’ll all need to eat Christmas dinner at someone’s home instead.
Can you travel between tiers to see loved ones?
You can indeed. “You may travel between tiers and other nations of the UK if necessary to meet with other households in your Christmas bubble or return home,” reads government advice. “Once at your destination, you should follow the rules in that tier.”
People are urged not to travel to see their bubble before December 23, or to travel back home after December 27, except in “exceptional circumstances” – for example, if a member of your Christmas bubble develops symptoms of Covid-19 and you are required to self-isolate.
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Anyone travelling to or from Northern Ireland may also travel on the 22 and 28 December, however.
People can travel abroad from December 2 to visit friends and family – and this extends over the Christmas period as well – however those in tier 3 are urged to stay put and only travel abroad for work, education or caring responsibilities.
You can stay in a hotel during the Christmas period, including in places that are tier 3 – but only by yourself, or with other members of your household.
You can also stay in private rented accommodation with members of your household, or your Christmas bubble.
Do the rest of the tier rules still apply in England over Christmas?
In England, a tiered system will still apply during the festive period – with the Christmas bubble exception.
Between 23 to 27 December, you’re not allowed to meet friends or family in your home unless they are part of your Christmas bubble in England – but you can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier you are staying in.
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For tier 1 this means you can socialise using the “rule of six” in any outdoor setting. In tier 2, you are able to socialise with up to six people outside in a private garden, however in tier 3 you can only socialise outside with up to six people in public spaces. Find out the rules for each tier here.
What about New Year’s Eve?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Piers Morgan Condemns 'Reckless' Laurence Fox For Holding Large Gathering

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Piers Morgan has hit out at Laurence Fox for holding a large gathering in spite of national coronavirus restrictions in place banning them.
The Good Morning Britain presenter took down the controversial actor as he reacted to a tweet Laurence posted over the weekend, bragging about having a “large group” over for lunch, where they “hugged, ate and put the world to rights”.
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Speaking on Monday’s edition of the ITV breakfast show, Piers called Laurence’s actions “ridiculous” saying it “epitomises the attitude of a small minority of people in this country who just don’t think this virus is for them”.
Claiming Laurence’s behaviour during the pandemic had been “increasingly reckless”, he said: “You know what Laurence? Why don’t you just shut up? Seriously. Why don’t you think about the NHS, think about these heroic people who right now in hospitals all around the country are continuing to try and save lives of complete strangers who have Covid-19, this lethal virus.
Piers Morgan and Laurence Fox Shutterstock/ITV
“Think about all the people who can’t see their loved ones in care homes because they are abiding by the rules, who would like to hug them and hold their hands. They don’t want to kill their parents or grandparents.
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“Think about all the people who are making these decisions everyday not for themselves and their desire to just carry on life as normal, but for other people because they actually care about other people.
“I just found that a ridiculous tweet and it epitomises the attitude of a small minority of people in this country who just don’t think this virus is for them,” Piers continued. “They just don’t understand why they can’t carry on partying and breaking every rule in the process.
“To which I say, it’s not just about you, it’s about other people. The most vulnerable people in our society. Elderly people, sick people, people who have already got underlying conditions. It is to stop them being killed. That is what this is about. Not about you.”
Issuing a plea to the former Lewis actor, Piers added: “Think what you are doing. You have 250,000 followers. Hanging on your every word. You tweet garbage like that. It’s ridiculous.”
On Sunday, Laurence had posted on Twitter: “Just had a large group over to lunch and we hugged and ate and talked and put the world to rights. It was lovely.
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“You’ll never take that away from people. Stay out. Protect your rights. If the @nhs can’t cope, then the @nhs isn’t fit for purpose. Compliance is violence.”
Piers had previously tweeted a reaction to Laurence’s post, writing: “This is such a pathetically selfish kick in the teeth to everyone working in the NHS, many of whom have lost colleagues to the virus. Shame on you Laurence.”
Piers’ co-host Susanna Reid agreed that his actions were dangerous, adding on GMB: “Compliance isn’t violence, compliance is compassion.”
Many other social media users also condemned Laurence for his irresponsibility.
'If the NHS can't cope, then the NHS isn't fit for purpose.'
Two days ago I had a message from an ICU nurse who was suicidal from the year she has had. Don't dress your selfishness and empathy failure as a social cause.
Or just be a dick without the attention-seeking. — Matt Haig (@matthaig1) November 30, 2020
So it turns out the pal of yours who said you were *and I quote* “an arsehole” was bang on correct. — Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKennedy) November 29, 2020
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When I read this tweet, I just think - what a total prat.. https://t.co/M9dFj0YxWY — Ed Balls (@edballs) November 29, 2020
I'm not often shocked, but the lunatic selfishness of this genuinely shocks me. https://t.co/Aiy9iwxMG1 — David Aaronovitch (@DAaronovitch) November 30, 2020
That's fine Laurence, if and when you and your friends get sick, we'll be here for you 24/7, 365 days a year.
Because unlike you, we care about the health of other people. https://t.co/V0bLhTsPg3 — Dr Philip Lee (@drphiliplee1) November 29, 2020
Well thank you for that I work for the NHS I’m a Nurse the NHS is fit for purpose IT can cope but I wish you could walk a week in my shoes just a week not the almost year I’ve had to do so far
Then we can have this conversation because we the nurses can’t cope 😢 — Amanda (@TwiggyDe) November 30, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--John Barrowman Switching To A Scottish Accent On Lorraine Leaves Some Viewers Confused

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John Barrowman reverted to his native Scottish accent during an appearance on Lorraine on Monday, leaving some viewers confused.
Such was the confusion that the actor’s name began trending on Twitter following his interview on the ITV morning show.
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The Torchwood star is better known for having an American accent, after he moved to the US as a child.
'Happy Birthday to you... you gorgeous piece of woman!' 🎂
Who better to serenade @reallorraine on her birthday than the simply fabulous, @JohnBarrowman. 🎉
Watch ➡ https://t.co/vn8NeFi106 pic.twitter.com/wU1MnkYek3 — Lorraine (@lorraine) November 30, 2020
But what with it being St Andrew’s Day and Lorraine Kelly’s birthday, John dug out his Scottish accent for the occasion, leaving some viewers wondering what was going on...
Are we just going to ignore the fact John Barrowman has just spoken in a pure scottish accent?!? #lorraine pic.twitter.com/2Fhl32DCdR — Tweets of Rage 🙈🙉🙊 (@ShandyRage) November 30, 2020
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Erm... why is John Barrowman doing this Lorraine interview in a scottish accent? — Laurs (@LaursJaneW) November 30, 2020
Obsessed with John Barrowman bringing out his Scottish accent just to talk to award winning actress Lorraine Kelly. Give me death #Lorraine — Shirley Carter’s Pussy (@ShirleyPussy) November 30, 2020
Absolutely baffled to learn that @JohnBarrowman is Scottish?! Am I the last to know the American accent is fake? #Lorraine — Laura Mitchell (@xxMissMitchellx) November 30, 2020
For others though, it really wasn’t that confusing...
Everyone is confused with John Barrowman talking in a Scottish accent today forgetting that he is actually Scottish 🏴 — Kyle (@KyleX1991) November 30, 2020
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For people confused by John Barrowman speaking in an interview in a Scottish accent, it’s not that weird. As a Scot who spent much of my childhood living in England, I used to switch accents all the time depending on who I was speaking to. (And it was unintentional) — Mary (@maryoddsocks) November 30, 2020
Everyone confused about John Barrowman speaking in a Scottish accent has never spent time with a Scottish person who's lived somewhere else for a long time. It literally takes a minute on the phone with her sister for my mom to go from her South-Africanised accent to broad Scots. — Aislynn Price (@tinylilemrys) November 30, 2020
People confused by Scottish John Barrowman going native when talking to Lorraine 🤷♀🤷♀ — Erika 'Hello Wall' Valentine (@IAmFrogPrincess) November 30, 2020
John Barrowman is trending cus of his accent?😂 hes scottish! The American accent is fake. He’s an actor 😂 — Laura🐱 (@Lauraarh) November 30, 2020
John previously told Lorraine that he had to change his accent after moving to America as an eight-year-old because he was bullied for his Scottish tones.
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His family moved from Glasgow to Aurora, Illinois, when he was eight, after his dad got a job at the Caterpillar tractor plant.
John explained: “When I’m with my mum and dad, my brother and sister I speak Scottish.
“Anybody who is Scottish I will speak with a Scottish accent, because you are privileged and also because when I was a kid when I moved to the States I was bullied.
“So anybody who doesn’t speak Scottish I speak with an American accent.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--This Brilliant 'Quarantine Quilt' Is Uniting Crafters Around The World

This Brilliant 'Quarantine Quilt' Is Uniting Crafters Around The World
More than 100 keen crafters around the world have come together to form a ‘quarantine quilt’, stitching together a picture of how we’ve experienced the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--How School Nativity Plays Are Going Ahead This Christmas

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If your child’s school decides to put on a Christmas nativity play or panto this December, it’s likely to look a little different to usual. And no, we’re not talking festive lobsters à la Love Actually.
The government has issued guidelines describing how certain Christmas activities can take place in a Covid-secure manner, from carol singing to visiting Santa’s grottos. School plays have also been given new restrictions.
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While plays are permitted across England, parents and guardians are only permitted to attend in tier 1 and 2 locations, subject to “the appropriate safeguards being in place”.
Expect audience numbers to be limited each evening to allow for social distancing and bring a coat – schools have been reminded to open windows for ventilation wherever possible.
Universal
Audience participation is also a no-go under the guidelines for performing arts (which some parents may breathe a sigh of relief at).
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Schools are advised to discourage “activities which can create aerosol such as shouting, chanting and singing along”.
You’ll also be asked to sit as soon as possible, rather than mingling with other parents upon arrival, so we’re guessing the PTA table selling alcohol is out.
In tier 3, audiences are not permitted at all, but schools can still put on a play if they choose. Teachers have been advised to utilise tech, by live-streaming the show or recording the performance and making it available to parents.
The plays themselves may also feel scaled back this year. Teachers have been told to limit the duration of social interaction opportunities (e.g. rehearsals) as far as possible, so be prepared to start practising lines with your kids at home.
You can also forget seeing any big musical numbers as “singing, wind and brass playing should not take place in larger groups such as choirs and ensembles”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Trump's Rallies Didn't Pay Off For Him At The Polls, According To Data

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Donald Trump’s largely maskless campaign rallies may have boosted the spread of Covid-19, but they didn’t serve Trump well at the polls, according to a ballot analysis by NBC News.
In an overwhelming number of cases, Trump came up short of his 2016 victory margins in the counties where he held rallies in the two weeks before the election, NBC reported. In a significant number of cases, he either increased his negative margins or lost the counties to rival Joe Biden that he won the last time around.
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Trump held 30 campaign rallies the final two weeks before the election in states from Arizona to Nebraska to Pennsylvania, NBC noted. Trump won larger victory margins than he did in 2016 in just five of the counties. In the rest, his negative margins grew and his positive margins shrunk, so much so that some counties flipped blue.
NBC cautioned that Trump may have done even worse in some cases without the rallies.
But the findings present a clear warning against gauging national, or even state, popularity based on rally turnouts, which tend to draw those who would vote for a candidate in any case. The rallies also represent a minuscule fraction of the vote.
Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have repeatedly expressed astonishment that Trump lost the election, given the president’s campaign schedule and the enthusiasm of people attending his rallies.
Eric Trump is perplexed that anyone could believe the results, according to a tweet he posted Saturday. People responding informed him that rallies are not necessarily a reliable barometer of voter support and that votes and rally attendance are not the same.
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Does anyone believe that Biden got 15 million more votes than Obama in 2012? This from a candidate who would go days/weeks while hardly campaigning. — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 28, 2020
Yes Eric. In fact, most of us agreed months ago that we didn't need to attend one stupid rally to vote for Biden. Our coalition of voters were DEMs, Republicans, IND, 1st time voters, and those who sat out the last election.
And your dad was the shittiest candidate EVER. — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 28, 2020
We showed up at the ballots not the rallies — Irishrygirl (@irishrygirl) November 28, 2020
What the rallies did accomplish was to increase Covid-19 infections, according to research from Stanford University. The research conservatively tied Trump’s rallies to at least 700 deaths — and counting. Some 30,000 people became sick with the virus because of the rallies and may face lifelong health problems. Communities that hosted Trump’s events “paid a high price in terms of disease and death,” the researchers concluded in a working paper.
Few of those attending Trump’s packed rallies wore masks and clearly did not observe social distancing guidelines. In a number of cases, Trump angrily ignored Covid-19 regulations and pleas from local officials not to hold the dangerous rallies as Covid-19 cases surged.
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Joe Biden’s far lower campaign profile was an attempt to limit exposure to help stem the spread of Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Fox News Lets Trump Spew Lies Unchecked In First Interview Since Election Day

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Fox News on Sunday offered Donald Trump a platform to spew lies about voter fraud unchecked for nearly 45 minutes in his first interview since Election Day.
Trump joined “Sunday Morning Futures” by phone, where he ranted about the election results and pushed unsubstantiated allegations of ballot-counting irregularities and a “rigged” election in favour of President-elect Joe Biden.
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Host Maria Bartiromo, one of Trump’s most fawning cable news allies, mostly sat back and let the president peddle baseless conspiracy theories to her hundreds of thousands of viewers. When she did chime in, it was to encourage his defiance and sow doubt about the electoral process.
“This is disgusting and we cannot allow America’s election to be corrupted,” Bartiromo said after Trump whined that the Justice Department is “missing in action” when it comes to investigating his voter fraud claims.
Election officials across the country ― Republicans and Democrats alike ― as well as international election observers have declared the 2020 presidential election to have been free and fair and without widespread issues.
Trump’s exchange with Bartiromo followed months of the president bashing Fox News for being too tough on him at times. He has encouraged his supporters to tune in instead to far-right outlets like One America News and Newsmax, which often parrot his nonsensical claims.
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Trump whines at length that the DOJ and FBI aren't doing more to help him overturn his loss to Biden pic.twitter.com/7Ik0NiB7lO — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 29, 2020
In his rambling interview, in which Bartiromo peppered in a few softball questions, Trump repeatedly lied that Republican poll watchers were not allowed near the vote-counting process in “just about all of the states.”
Though the Trump campaign’s legal team, headed by Rudy Giuliani, has made this claim in public numerous times, it has shied away from the assertion in the courtroom. In one case, a campaign lawyer admitted to a federal judge in Pennsylvania that Trump had a “nonzero number” of people present in Philadelphia during ballot-counting.
Trump also claimed Sunday that world leaders have been calling him to congratulate him on his win (he didn’t win) and telling him “that’s the most messed up election I’ve ever seen.”
In fact, as CNN pointed out, nearly every major US ally has called Biden to congratulate him, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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What’s more, the White House hasn’t released any phone calls between Trump and a foreign leader since the end of October.
Bartiromo asked Trump several times to lay out what specific evidence his legal team will present in court to overturn Biden’s win. But Trump continued to offer vague allegations instead.
“We’re trying to put the evidence in and the judges won’t allow us to do it,” Trump lied. “We have so much evidence.”
He then took aim at Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, for not doing more to stop the certification of election results in the state, where Biden won by a razor-thin margin.
“I’m ashamed that I endorsed him,” Trump said.
The president wrapped up his interview by complaining that his administration’s Covid-19 response isn’t getting high enough marks in the press.
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“I came up with vaccines,” Trump claimed, adding that the US is “doing better than the rest of the world” when it comes to the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--This Man's Audit Of Quality Street Chocolates Has The Internet Shook

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As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse, a tweet has exposed the shocking disparity in chocolate flavours in some of the nation’s Quality Street tubs.
Stephen Hull, head of digital at ITV News, had a bit of spare time on his hands over the weekend so he decided to audit an unopened Quality Street tin (each to their own).
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Hull found there were just four – yes, four – purple chocolates (hazel in caramel flavour) in his tub, compared to a whopping 11 orange cremes and 11 toffee pennies.
“Another blow for 2020,” Hull tweeted. “Who do I complain to? #inequalitystreet.”
He kindly confirmed to HuffPost UK that he had not eaten any purple chocolates before taking the photo.
Bit of spare time on my hands today so I audited the unopened Quality Street tin. Just 4 purples (4.7%) and yet a massive 11 (12.9%) orange ones. Another blow for 2020. Who do I complain to? #inequalitystreet pic.twitter.com/8cDu6yDbcP — Stephen Hull (@stephenbhull) November 29, 2020
So, is this to be expected across the board, or does Nestlé, the food giant behind Quality Street, just have random allocations of chocolate in each tin?
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Twitter user Chris Tate-Davies responded to Hull’s tweet with his own analysis – and it revealed more purple chocolates. Although still not an overwhelming amount – five as opposed to Hull’s four.
Again, there were lots of orange cremes (controversial for some) and strawberry flavour treats, but far fewer toffee pennies.
Just done the same, to check consumer variance. I have 7.5% purple and 11.9%. Interesting, but seeing as I don't like nuts, I'm happy with the ratios myself. pic.twitter.com/mJSoFZylZN — Chris Tate-Davies (@tatedavies) November 30, 2020
The vast range in quantities of chocolate has left people pretty outraged – well, it has been A Year.
That is all kinds of wrong. Orange creams shouldn't even be in the mix let alone staging a bloody takeover 😤 — MaisonDeBamboo (@MaisonDeBamboo) November 30, 2020
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An outrage, the purple one are the best, only 4 and the orange the one I leave until there's no choice, 11 of em!!!!! — claire savage 🇪🇺 #FBPE #Rejoin 🇺🇸 (@csav55) November 30, 2020
Only 4 green triangles too ...your tin is most dissapointing! Think we should all be checking our tins in case this is standard and if it is, we should then all lodge a complaint given all that we have been through this year! — Sophie Sherlock (@SophieSherlock4) November 30, 2020
A Nestlé spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “We have procedures in place to help ensure that each of the 12 varieties is well represented within the mix – however these ratios can vary, which is why we don’t give set percentages for each sweet.”
If you’re the sort of person who can’t stomach the many flavours of Quality Street – and the risk of an uneven spread – it might be worth buying a tin of your favourites. Although it’ll cost you more.
Or, you could opt for a tub of Roses instead, which appears to have more of an even distribution of flavours. (Either that or Rachel got lucky).
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Roses, approximately 6pm on Friday pic.twitter.com/4TsEC4LWgM — Rachel Groves (@RayGrovesRachel) November 30, 2020
Every Christmas since 2016, we’ve asked HuffPost UK readers to rank their favourite festive chocolates – resulting in thousands of votes.
Lindt Lindor Truffles have been revealed as the all-time favourites, followed by Cadbury Heroes, Quality Street, Maltesers and Terry’s Chocolate Orange. You can see the full ranking here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Crumpet Slippers Are Here To Make Your December Jolly Cosy

HuffPost UK
In news we never knew we needed, you can now buy crumpet slippers. Yes, you can slide your feet into two halves of plush, cosy crumpet look-a-likes and spent the rest of the day feeling happy.
Even better, all the proceeds from the sale of the slippers (excluding delivery) – they’ll set you back £19.99 – will be donated to FareShare, the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste.
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The Warburtons Crumpet Slippers, which are available to buy online from today, will go down well for crumpet fans this Christmas, as well as a treat to yourself.
For every pair bought, the equivalent of 64 meals will be donated to those most in need during this festive period; in total, the proceeds from the campaign will enable FareShare to distribute over 85,000 free meals.
Jonathan Warburton, chairman at Warburtons said: “As we enter some of the toughest months for those in need, FareShare’s incredible work fighting hunger was an obvious partner and we are proud to be able to donate all sale proceeds from the slippers to such a worthy cause.”
The limited-edition items are available in sizes XS-L, spanning shoe sizes 3-12.
Earlier this year, the bakery brand also released the recipe of its famous crumpets – while HuffPost gave you some ideas for cool toppings.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Every Senior Member Of The Biden-Harris Communications Team Will Be A Woman

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President-elect Joe Biden said on Sunday that a woman will fill every senior communications role in his new administration, the first time that female officials will hold all such roles.
“Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a president, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House,” Biden said in a statement in an apparent dig at President Donald Trump’s own communications staff.
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“I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women,” he added. “These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.”
The group of seven women will include a longtime aides and Democratic stalwarts who have deep experience in Washington, led by Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director and Jen Psaki as White House press secretary.
I’m unspeakably proud to have the opportunity to serve as White House Communications Director for @joebiden. Working for him as VP and on this campaign gave me insight into what kind of capable, compassionate, clear-eyed president he will be and it will be a profound honor to 1/ — Kate Bedingfield (@KBeds) November 29, 2020
“I’m unspeakably proud to have the opportunity to serve as White House Communications Director for [Joe Biden],” Bedingfield wrote on Twitter. “Working for him as VP and on this campaign gave me insight into what kind of capable, compassionate, clear-eyed president he will be, and it will be a profound honor to be one small part of his work.”
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Honored to work again for @JoeBiden, a man I worked on behalf of during the Obama-Biden Admin as he helped lead economic recovery, rebuilt our relationships with partners (turns out good practice) and injected empathy and humanity into nearly every meeting I sat in. — Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) November 29, 2020
“This is a team of some of the most talented, battle-tested communicators out there … who are also all women, most diverse team in history and also 6 Moms of young kids,” Psaki tweeted after the announcement.
All of the names were released at once to “signal that the various top administration offices will coordinate closely,” top Biden campaign aide Anita Dunn told The Washington Post.
The other women on the team: Elizabeth Alexander, who will serve as communications director for first lady Jill Biden; Ashley Etienne, communications director for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris; Karine Jean Pierre, principal deputy press secretary; Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson for Harris; and Pili Tobar, deputy White House communications director.
The announcement is the latest move by Biden and Harris to build an administration that mirrors the makeup of America, a pledge Biden touted throughout his campaign. Biden previously named Janet Yellen as his pick for teasury secretary, and he is reportedly expected to name two other women this week to round out his economic team: Neera Tanden and Cecilia Rouse.
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“Our country is facing unprecedented challenges — from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis to the climate crisis and a long-overdue reckoning over racial injustice,” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in a statement. “To overcome these challenges, we need to communicate clearly, honestly and transparently with the American people, and this experienced, talented and barrier-shattering team will help us do that.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Covid Vaccines: 5 Things An Actual Scientist Wants Anti-Vaxxers To Know

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2020 was a bumper year for conspiracy theories.
The coronavirus crisis has breathed new life into nonsense-based movements such as QAnon and David Icke.
And the recent flurry of positive news around vaccines – 4,307,002 doses have been given out in the UK by Saturday, to 3,857,266 people – has focused some of this energy into the supposed harms and risks associated with inoculation, reinvigorating the anti-vax movement that began in the 1990s.
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Most of the concerns raised are old and already debunked news, repackaged for the social media age and propagated by non-experts.
So HuffPost UK asked an actual expert, UCL medicine cell biologist Dr Jennifer Rohn, to help debunk the 2020 version of a 1990s phenomenon:
1) Vaccines do not alter your DNA
One quirk of the coronavirus pandemic that absolutely no one saw coming is that many of the following conspiracy theories and falsehoods can be found being promoted on the Twitter feeds of various 1990s pop stars.
First up is Jim Corr of Irish folk group The Corrs, a guitarist with no medical or scientific qualifications whatsoever.
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In a Twitter spat with a priest in Philadelphia, he claimed: ”The vaccine is a novel experimental RNA vaccine which will alter the very DNA of the recipient.”
This is absolutely not true and there is not a single piece of evidence to back it up. In fact, it’s physically impossible.
Let’s start with a few key terms.
DNA is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code (our genes). It governs the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of the proteins in the cells of our body.
RNA is similar in structure but its job is to carry out the instructions encoded in our DNA so that our proteins know how to behave. It does this in three ways, one of which is to act as a messenger between the DNA and our proteins. In this role, it is called messenger RNA (mRNA). Once its job is done, it disappears.
The vaccines being developed by Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines and use part of Covid-19's RNA in order to tell our cells to produce antigens.
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These antigens are then recognised by the immune system and prepare it to fight coronavirus.
Crucially, while RNA and DNA do interact, RNA cannot change our DNA. It only works in one direction, by telling the proteins in our cells how to behave.
“It’s just not physically possible. It’s just the wrong type of material,” says Rohn.
RNA PA Media
So where does the idea that it can change our DNA come from? Rohn thinks it might be due to people confusing vaccines with gene therapy.
“Gene therapy is a completely different thing. It’s where you take some DNA, put that into a virus and that’s designed to go into your cells and correct problems,” she says.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that has been used with some success against cystic fibrosis and some cancers. But it has nothing to do with vaccines, how they are developed or how they work.
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2) If you can take the vaccine, you really, really should
Back to our motley line-up of ’90s pop stars and this time it’s the turn of Ian Brown, the former Stone Roses singer, who also has no scientific or medical qualifications whatsoever.
Anti-vaxxer Brown has been very vocal throughout the pandemic, most recently stating that no should care if he doesn’t get a vaccine because anyone who does want one can get one and then be protected regardless.
So if you want a vax and you believe it works and youll be protected then you wont mind if i dont have one because you will already be protected. — Ian Brown (@ianbrown) November 23, 2020
There are two things to be considered here.
Firstly, not everyone can be vaccinated. People undergoing certain medical treatments or those with compromised immune systems may not be able to safely take a vaccine.
As such, they are relying on the wider population to take the vaccine, develop herd immunity, and therefore indirectly protect them from Covid-19.
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The second thing to consider is that herd immunity for a disease is typically achieved when 70% to 90% of a population is vaccinated.
So while Mr Brown alone deciding to not take the vaccine is not problematic, tweeting and encouraging his 148,000 followers to do the same very much is.
“It’s quite a shocking thing to say: ‘I’m going to sit back and reap the benefits of vaccination without actually getting the vaccine myself,’” says Rohn.
“I think that’s completely selfish because not everyone can get vaccinated. There are people who are too vulnerable and they’re immunocompromised and they’re relying on everyone else to do the right thing.”
3) Vaccines do not contain tissue from aborted foetuses
Back to Jim for our next apparently horrifying claim: that the vaccines contain the cells of aborted foetuses.
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Listed ingredient MRC-5 means the #COVID vaccine contains tissue from an aborted male foetus. — Jim Corr (@Jimcorrsays) November 21, 2020
Again, this is not true. There is no human tissue at all in a vaccine.
“You would never put human tissue into a vaccine because it might cause an immune reaction that you don’t want,” says Rohn.
The belief expressed by Corr stems from a misunderstanding about how vaccines in general are developed.
Some cells used in lab research are derived from stem cells obtained decades ago from elective abortions. Over the years, these cells are reproduced over and over again and provide a consistent genetic make-up for conducting vaccine research.
“There are cell lines that we use in the lab all the time that are derived from stem cells,” says Rohn. “Some of them are 50 years old and they’re an essential part of the research arsenal. It’s not like we’re going out and aborting foetuses to do research on them.”
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Even the staunchly anti-abortion Catholic Church has come out in favour of vaccines necessarily developed using such cell lines, assuring followers: “One is morally free to use the vaccine regardless of its historical association with abortion.”
4) Vaccines do not cause autism
This false belief long predates the Covid vaccine yet somehow persists despite the fact there is absolutely no evidence to back it up.
“I really don’t know what else there is to say.”
It’s also an extremely ableist conspiracy theory, as they go. And we shall leave it at that.
5) Yes, the vaccine has been developed quickly but that doesn’t mean it’s not safe
We end with something that doesn’t qualify as a conspiracy theory but is a misunderstanding that can be cleared up with a bit of science.
In keeping with our recently established tradition, we now turn to Right Said Fred.
A vaccine that undergoes all the usual stringent tests and protocols that other successful vaccines have undergone should be treated very seriously. A fast-tracked-politicised-vaccine-for-profit should be approached with caution. — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) October 20, 2020
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It’s undeniable that coronavirus vaccines have been developed with unprecedented speed. The previous record was four years, when the mumps vaccine was distributed in the 1960s.
With the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine rolled out on December 8, this record was slashed to well under a single year.
“I think the concern is quite understandable in some ways,” says Rohn. “Usually it takes 10 years and this time it’s taken 10 months, so of course people are going to wonder if any shortcuts have been taken.”
In short, the answer is no. Rather than the result of shortcuts or the loosening of safety standards, the speed with which Covid vaccines have been developed is due to the phenomenal money and effort thrown at the problem – the UK government alone has spent £6bn in total to develop and procure them.
And we weren’t working from scratch.
“There’s been an enormous amount of groundwork on these prototypes so we were quick off the mark from a research point of view,” says Rohn. “The actual trials are taking a long time and that’s where nothing is being compromised.
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“No reputable regulatory body will approve this without a completed and successful series of clinical trials.”
While the immediate need for the vaccine does mean the longer term effects of the vaccine cannot be known just yet, it’s incredibly unlikely that there will be some mysterious and damaging side-effect that only becomes apparent later on.
Former chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, said earlier this month that from a “long history” there was “no reason” to expect that a new coronavirus vaccine would have long-term side effects.
He added: “If there are going to be side effects, there are the immediate ones.”
These of course would have been picked up in trials already conducted.
Rohn said: “We know a lot about vaccines and what we’re seeing in the trials is exactly what we expect to see – a robust immune response, we’re seeing antibodies and T cells. Nothing that’s going in is incredibly earth-shattering – it’s RNA and protein.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Scotch Egg 'Probably' Counts As Substantial Meal, Says George Eustice

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Scotch eggs “probably would count” as a substantial meal if a pub offers table service, Cabinet minister George Eustice has said.
The environment secretary sought to clarify the issue as huge swathes of the country prepare to move into the Covid tier 2, where people can drink in pubs provided they are eating a “substantial meal”.
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On Friday, Downing Street made clear that once people have finished their food, however, that they should leave.
Eustice told LBC Radio on Monday morning that something as small as a scotch egg would count as a meal.
“I think a scotch egg probably would count as a substantial meal if there was table service,” he told presenter Nick Ferrari. “Often that might be as a starter.”
Around 57% of the population of England (32 million people) will be living under tier 2 restrictions when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday.
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But around 41.5% (23 million) will be living under the strictest rules in tier 3, where pubs cannot open at all.
Shops, gyms, hairdressers, beauty salons and leisure centres will be open in both tier 2 and tier 3 areas, however.
Breakfast of Scotch eggs and traditional vegetable salad (pork and soups) in the borough market. anutr tosirikul via Getty Images
It comes as Boris Johnson attempts to face down a Tory revolt against the new tiers, with many fearing the severe impact on businesses.
Eustice admitted many Conservative MPs are “unsettled”, but said the government was working hard to persuade them it is the right thing to do.
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He BBC Breakfast: “We are facing a large number of our own MPs, yes, who are unsettled by the measures that have had to be taken and the potential impact of that, and we absolutely understand that anxiety.”
He added: “Tiers 2 and 3 … fall short of a lockdown and have many freedoms outside of a lockdown but actually will enable us to hold the spread of the virus in check.”
Separately, he said a move to allow 24-hour trading in the run-up to Christmas has not yet been decided.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice leaves a Cabinet meeting at Downing Street Simon Dawson / Reuters
It comes amid reports ministers are weighing up the measure to ease the impact the pandemic has had on retail.
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He saidt: “We are looking at a range of measures to try and ensure that we don’t get overcrowding in stores, so, while retail venues are going to open from December 2 – that’s very important – we also want to ensure we can maintain social distancing, we want to avoid crowds, so a range of measures are being considered.
“I’m not sure whether there has been a decision yet on round-the-clock opening, but I know there has been some discussion around the Sunday trading hours and some easements there.”
The tiers will be reviewed on December 16, the government has said.
Eustice has said refused to rule out a third national lockdown if coronavirus infection rates do not dramatically improve.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--John Travolta Posts Emotional Message To Fans After Wife's Death

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John Travolta has posted a heartfelt message on social media thanking his fans for reaching out to him after his wife’s death from breast cancer.
The actor’s wife, actress Kelly Preston, died in July after a two-year battle with the disease. She was 57.
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“I just wanted to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in such an incredible way this year,” the star said in a video Instagram message. “Happy Thanksgiving, and always, love.”
The Grease star married Kelly in 1991 and had three children: Jett (who died in 2009 at the age of 16 following a seizure), Ella, and Benjamin.
Following his wife’s death, the actor said in a post that she “fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--George Eustice Refuses To Rule Out Third National Lockdown In January

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The environment secretary has refused to rule out the possibility of a third national lockdown in January, saying the current state of the coronavirus pandemic is a “rapidly developing situation”.
George Eustice said it could be avoided “if we maintain the tiered approach for as long as necessary” and that “we can see a way out of this early next summer”.
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Pressed on whether he could rule out another lockdown in the New Year, the Cabinet minster said: “You can’t rule anything out.”
Could we see a third nation wide lockdown in England at some point?
Environment Secretary George Eustice refuses to rule one out, but says "we can see a way out of this early next summer." JJ#KayBurley pic.twitter.com/JdhxRkyvRH — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) November 30, 2020
Eustice also laid bare the scale of the discontent on Tory benches ahead of Tuesday’s Commons vote on the new Covid restrictions for England.
He said up to 100 people have “got concerns”, telling Sky News: “The chief whip, obviously, will be talking to those MPs who have got concerns. I’ve seen suggestions that there could be up to 100 or so people that have got concerns.
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“I think there is great frustration with the emergency measures that we have had to take to deal with this pandemic. We haven’t taken them lightly. We have had to take these to get the virus under control.
“What we need to show to those MPs and to the country at large is that we have got a clear route towards fixing this problem and turning the corner.”
The environment secretary also clarified new rules around eating and drinking out in tier 2 areas, post-lockdown.
Asked if people living in Tier 2 areas would have to leave a pub or restaurant as soon as they finish eating, or could stay to finish their drink, he said: “I think you can finish your drink provided you are at a table and you have had a drink with a meal then, of course, you can finish your drink as well.
“What you probably couldn’t do is have a small meal and then sit at the table all night ordering drink.”
Covid-19 infections in England fell by 30% during the country’s second lockdown, according to the latest findings of a major coronavirus study.
Between November 13 and 24, more than 105,000 volunteers were tested for the virus as part of an ongoing study by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI to work out infection levels in the general population.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Joe Biden Fractures Foot While Playing With Dog, Doctor Says

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President-elect Joe Biden fractured several bones in his foot on Saturday and will likely require a walking boot for several weeks, his doctor announced late Sunday.
Biden sustained the injury while playing with his dog Major, his office said Sunday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, he will be examined this afternoon by an orthopedist,” Biden’s office said in a statement.
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His doctor said later Sunday the president-elect had sustained several small, hairline fractures in his foot.
Following the results of the CT scan Biden received tonight, his personal physician has released a statement saying that the President-elect will likely be in a walking boot “for several weeks.” pic.twitter.com/JeHWmKO5AE — Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) November 30, 2020
Biden arrived at Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists in Newark, Delaware, around 4 pm ET, according to a pool reporter travelling with Biden’s transition team.
“The van was manoeuvred so that reporters and photographers could not see the president-elect as he left the motorcade and entered the building,” the reporter wrote in the pool report.
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At age 78, Biden will be the oldest president to ever enter office when he is sworn in on January 20. President Donald Trump, 74, has repeatedly attempted to portray Biden as senile and fragile because of his age.
Biden has waved off such attacks, arguing that he’s more physically fit than Trump.
“When it comes to Donald Trump versus me: Just look at us,” Biden told CNN in September. “Who seems to be in shape? Who’s able to move around?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--On The Mind - This Is What Your Brain Is Doing When You Sleep

On The Mind - This Is What Your Brain Is Doing When You Sleep
Sleep has remained a mystery throughout the history of neuroscience and it isn’t until recently that technology enabled us to see what’s occurring in the brain when we sleep. In this episode of HuffPost’s original series on the inner workings of the mind, neuroscientist Professor Jeff Iliff explains why it’s important to get a good night’s sleep and how it helps the brain function better.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Ruthie Henshall Is Second Star To Leave I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

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Ruthie Henshall has become the second contestant to be eliminated from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
The West End star was booted from the campsite at Gwrych Castle in North Wales after receiving the fewest public votes on Sunday night.
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Speaking to co-hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly after leaving her campmates, she said: “It was definitely brutal but you have absolutely no control in there. You don’t know what is coming next and the rollercoaster of emotions is ridiculous.
“You start thinking about things you haven’t thought about in years. You are falling from emotion to emotion. But everyone in there was so wonderful and delightful. There was a real camaraderie in there. Nothing went unnoticed when you were up or down.”
Ruthie Henshall Kieron McCarron/ITV/Shutterstock
Ruthie also broke down in tears as she spoke about being a single mother.
She said: “As a mother all you think about are the things you do wrong. You never think about the things you do right.
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“I had a good chance to have a think and talk to the mums in here. That’s been incredible as I have been a single mum for so long.
“You’re having to be good cop, bad cop, and you are trying to figure out how to deal with each situation and you have no idea how to deal with it.”
After a show-stopping performance, @RuthieHenshall's taken her final Castle bow! That smile will definitely be missed in Camp 🤩 #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/OJj1Oe2AFX — I'm A Celebrity... (@imacelebrity) November 29, 2020
Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold became the first to leave the castle on Friday night.
Before the eviction, the campsite faced a challenge with a twist – they would decide collectively who took part.
BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire put herself forward, saying: “I haven’t done one on my own and I want to prove to myself that I can do it on my own.”
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When my housemate asks me how I'm feeling before a first date #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/spvyc7Vofv — I'm A Celebrity... (@imacelebrity) November 29, 2020
She faced The Critter Clink, which saw her make her way through a series of prison cells and collect 11 stars protected by 11 animals.
In the first room she retrieved a star from the collar of a wolf who was being held by one of the castle wardens.
As she progressed through the cells she encountered toads, eels, a Burmese python and three cages full of offal which she had to rummage through.
Derbyshire won a total of nine stars, but despite winning a substantial dinner of octopus for the camp, the presenter did not feel content.
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She said: “I did my best. I went as fast as I could. I hope the camp will be happy with that. I’m sure they will be. I just always think, ‘Oh you could have got more’.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--40 Vulnerable Women And Children Left Without Power In Serco-Run House For Asylum Seekers

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Forty vulnerable women and children, including a newborn baby and mother with Covid-19, were left for hours over the weekend without power on Friday and Saturday in a Serco-run house for asylum seekers.
The young families, already self-isolating due to a confirmed case of the virus inside the house, went without heating or lights and feared their food would spoil as they tried to reach contractor Serco, which operates the house on behalf of the Home Office. HuffPost UK is not locating the house for safeguarding reasons.
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Alongside women living at the house, staff at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said they and charity Migrant Help – established as the official link between residents and Serco – had spent around seven hours attempting to get through to the company on Friday evening, but were initially unable to reach anyone through either the main or out-of-hours phone lines.
.@SercoGroup a house you run, with 20 vulnerable women with small babies, has been without heating + light for 6 hours. They are freezing cold. One of them is Covid+.
Serco + @migranthelp you need to pick up the phone and fix this — JCWI (@JCWI_UK) November 27, 2020
We and @migranthelp have been trying to get hold of @SercoGroup but no one there is picking up - not the main line or the out of hours line.
Please help us get their attention by tweeting @SercoGroup — JCWI (@JCWI_UK) November 27, 2020
Forty vulnerable women and children were left over part of the weekend without heating or lights, unable to get through to Serco who run the property. Michelle
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Michelle, 29, has lived in the house for around eighteen months and told HuffPost UK that the power in the house had been a problem since she moved in.
She said: “In my opinion it comes down to Serco never actually fixing the house but always coming, putting sellotape on something, and then it gets worse and worse.
“It’s a massive building with about 40 of us living here. The issue starts with the boiler, the radiators leak, they don’t get warm, so since last winter we’ve had to end up buying our own electrical heaters to keep ourselves warm as sometimes the radiator would switch off in the middle of the night.
“We’re not allowed to have our housing officer’s number, we’re not allowed to have Serco’s number, and sometimes when you call Migrant Help you have to wait in the queue for up to six hours to report a heating issue.”
After around seven hours without power an electrician arrived on Friday evening and temporarily fixed the issue, but told the women it could take up to five days for a permanent solution to the problem. By Saturday morning the power had again failed.
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The power is off again. 20 women and babies not able to keep warm or heat up baby food. No answer on when problem will be fixed.
And the mums say they've been told to stop ringing for help so they don't 'overload the system'!@SercoGroup, this is abysmal - please fix up! — JCWI (@JCWI_UK) November 28, 2020
The JCWI said Serco CEO Rupert Soames had told the charity on Saturday afternoon that power had been restored to the property, but it was not clear whether it was a temporary or permanent fix.
A spokesperson for Serco denied ongoing issues with the power or any further outages after Friday evening, telling HuffPost UK: “The issue was fixed at around 8pm on Friday evening, four hours after we had been notified. Our team returned on Saturday to double check that everything was ok and there were no further issues with the power.”
Both the women and the Home Office itself confirmed that there were, in fact, issues with the power that lasted for several hours on Saturday. Serco did not respond to questions about its apparently misleading statement.
The spokesperson did not respond to questions about how Serco was making the property Covid-safe, allegations that the women had been told to stop calling the helpline or whether or not they would be given any help with replacing spoiled food.
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Living on less than £40 a week, residents were left terrified they would be unable to replace the fresh food they bought for their babies after the fridges shut down. With a confirmed case of Covid-19 in the house, the women had already stocked up as far as possible to feed their children during the self-isolation period.
There has been no electricity for hours in housing run by @SercoGroup. 20 vulnerable women with small babies are sitting in the dark + freezing cold. One of them is Covid+. The food they bought with their £4 allowance is rotting. Serco and @migranthelp aren't answering the phone. — Satbir Singh (@SatbirLSingh) November 27, 2020
Michelle said: “On Friday we went half an entire day with no electricity. It was quite stressful as the channels of communication they have provided for us is Migrant Help, who tried to contact Serco who are either unavailable or take their time.
“It was so frustrating. When I told the helper on the line from Migrant Help that the food in our fridges was getting spoiled she told us that if it went bad we could just call charity organisations for help. The charities are already overwhelmed, and we would be 40 new mouths to feed with very specific needs for toddlers and babies.
“We have sacrificed so much money already because we were told that we have to isolate. We’re on five pounds a day, we have bought enough food for our kids so we can then isolate for a safe number of days.
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“It’s going to be a dangerous thing if our food goes bad and all 40 of us have to go out to get food for our children.”
Migrant Help were unable to provide HuffPost UK with a comment for this article.
The communication issues with Serco persisted after the power went out on Saturday, Michelle said, with a member of staff telling worried residents to stop calling for help.
Power is out again. @SercoGroup are asking the residents to stop calling them because “they can’t handle the volume of calls”. From 20 women. — Satbir Singh (@SatbirLSingh) November 28, 2020
She told HuffPost UK: “Obviously we started calling again first thing in the morning. Normally when the electricity trips you can fix it yourself, but the way they’d fixed it on Friday meant you couldn’t do that.
“After we started to call Migrant Help again we got our first ever call from an actual Serco manager who said ‘you are overloading the system with your calls’. What were we supposed to do? Our kids are hungry, our food is going bad.
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“If you put people in such a building then you must be willing to pay a lot of money for regular maintenance. It takes a toll on the house.”
A Home Office spokesperson told HuffPost UK on Sunday that a technician was due to visit the house on Monday to implement a more permanent solution to the power issues, after more than a year of complaints from residents who have dealt with persistent problems.
Satbir Singh, chief executive of the JCWI said: “It’s outrageous that Serco have left a group of vulnerable women and children freezing, uncared for and with no guarantee of electricity or heating for days.
“This is the same company who run a test and trace system for 65 million people, yet in this instance they told a group of 20 worried mums to stop ringing for help as they were ‘overloading their phone lines’.
Part of the communal washing area, which serves around 40 women and young children. Michelle
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“This is simply unacceptable. Everyone needs safe and decent housing, particularly in an unprecedented pandemic. The Home Office must now investigate Serco’s failure to provide this, and stop outsourcing the safety of migrants to companies with a track record of neglect, abuse and incompetence.”
Relying on shared facilities including the kitchen and bathrooms, women in the house were already concerned about the risk of contracting the virus, especially after a confirmed case – a mother with a newborn baby – was identified in the house. Without heating, lights and electricity to heat up food for their children, they say the situation has become even more dangerous.
Michelle’s son has serious health problems, and recently spent four weeks in and out of hospital after catching a cold – leaving Michelle extremely fearful of the risks posed by Covid-19.
She has spent most of the pandemic so far trying to isolate in her room with her son, who has missed a number of key milestones including starting to walk due to the lack of space. In order to avoid communal spaces as much as possible she has been forced to store and cook most of her food, as well as dry their laundry, inside one small room.
The majority of the women in the house, she said, are doing the same.
Part of Michelle's room, which she shares with her young son and has been trying to isolate in since the start of the pandemic. Michelle
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She said: “My one-year old has a heart defect and underlying conditions and obviously I’ve been uneasy having her in the building. Since the day she [the resident with Covid-19] left hospital I’ve been trying to ask what is going to happen to my son.
“The housing officer told her that she wouldn’t be sent to her own place to isolate, she should isolate in her room, even though she’s just given birth. She can’t go to the kitchen that we all share, she’s struggling to go to the bathroom.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office told HuffPost UK that “asylum seekers are being asked to maintain social distancing”, but in large shared houses with communal facilities, this has proven incredibly difficult.
Michelle, who was granted asylum earlier in November, has been temporarily moved out of the house by her lawyers to protect the health of her and her son. She is still waiting for written confirmation of her status from the Home Office but has been told to expect a delay, and will have to move back into the Serco house until she is formally granted leave to remain in the UK.
Despite concerns over Serco’s contract with the Home Office being raised numerous times in the past, the company – who are also responsible for the failing Covid Test and Trace scheme – were awarded a new £200m contract in February to run two detention centres.
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Earlier in November the Liverpool Echo reported claims from an asylum seeker that he had been “congratulated” on becoming homeless by a “cruel” Serco housing officer.
The contractor was also severely criticised in 2019 for evicting asylum seekers in Scotland by changing the locks, leaving them homeless, although the courts did eventually rule that Serco’s actions were lawful.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care extremely seriously and have worked closely with Serco, local public health authorities and stakeholders to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place and the site is safe and secure.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Elf On The Shelf Ideas To Get You Through Week One

HuffPost UK Elf
Yep, even in a pandemic – the elf made it through. He’s back. Well, he’s back from Tuesday December 1.
If you have any questions from your kids about how exactly the elf IS on the shelf, when tiers 2 and 3 specifically state you are not allowed to mix indoors with anyone else – you can either tell them a) the elf has quarantined for two weeks before arriving; or b) that elves are exempt, because they’re magical.
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In fact, you might even want to arrange for our elf friend to be wearing a little mask on his face on the first day at least to show he’s been safe on arrival.
Anyway – if you’ve committed to this whole shebang, you’ve got 25 days ahead of you and we can can hear your deep breaths from here. No coughing please.
Fear not. We’re here for you with a roundup of all the elf on the shelf ideas you could possibly need every Monday to see you through. Let’s do this.
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1. Covid elf
Of course, there are already some great Covid ideas for your little elf friend. Grab a jar – an empty jam jar if you have one – and make a quick sign. Who knows, he might have to stay in there for a little while! (Shame).
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2. Quarantine elf
Or, make the jar even fancier and turn it into an “isolation pod”.
3. Mask and shield elf
An easier option could be to put a mini mask on the elf for the first few days he’s in the house (cut a tiny bit off an old disposable mask).
4. Balloon elf
Covid aside, have your elf fly in with a few balloons. Balloons make everything jolly, don’t they?
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5. Simple elf
Or, if you’re already exhausted in week one – a simple “hello” would do.
6. Hanging elf
Get the stockings out, and hang him on a lampshade for a truly grand entrance.
7. Weeing elf


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--This Is How And When The Lockdown Tier In Your Area Can Be Lowered

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MPs will vote on Tuesday whether to approve Boris Johnson’s three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions.
If the government wins, the new rules replacing England’s national lockdown will come into force from Wednesday December 2.
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Under the system, the country will be split into tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3.
In total, almost 99% of England’s population will enter tier 2 or 3, with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the midlands, north east and north west are in the most restrictive tier 3.
How long will the tiered system last?
The government has said it wants the tiers, which are stricter than those in place before the national lockdown, to be in place until the end of March 2021. Boris Johnson told Tory MPs in a letter on Saturday this would be “necessary to control the virus through the winter”.
Could it end sooner?
Yes. In a move to appease his MPs, the prime minister has promised the system will have a legal “sunset” of February 3. This means in order for the tiered approach to remain in place beyond then, parliament would have to vote in favour of it again.
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Can regions change tiers and when?
Yes. The government will review the tiers in each region of England on December 16. Any changes will be announced on Thursday December 17 and will come into effect on Saturday December 19.
The government’s Joint Biosecurity Centre and ministers will look at the data across England on a weekly basis from then on.
Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, will chair a meeting on Tuesdays. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, then chairs a meeting on Wednesdays for Thursday announcements on any changes to the tiers.
There is also a specific requirement in the legislation to conduct a formal review of the tiering allocations every fortnight.
How can a region move down tiers?
The government has said it will base any decision on whether a region needs to move up or down tiers on five criteria.
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Case detection rates in all age groups;
Case detection rates in the over 60s;
The rate at which cases are rising or falling;
Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken);
Pressure on the NHS.
Ministers will also consider local views “to build the most accurate picture” of what is happening on the ground.
Will the types of areas change?
The government is largely imposing restrictions on entire counties, with some exceptions.
But many Tory MPs are unhappy with such a broad-brush approach and want more localised interventions to prevent local authority areas with low infectionrates being lumped together with ones with a high rate.
Johnson said “every local authority area and each region” would be looked at when the tiers are reviewed.
But Dominic Raab told Times Radio on Sunday that the government would stick to its county by county system. “That’s the approach we’re taking. Yes,” he said.
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Why are the new tiers stricter than the old tiers?
In short, the government decided the old tiers simply were not working. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) told ministers stronger measures would be needed to prevent the epidemic from growing.
Its analysis showed that tier 1 measures were not able to stop the growth of the virus, tier 2 managed to slow but not reverse the pace of growth, and tier 3 managed to get cases falling in most, but not all, areas.
What about the Christmas holiday?
The vote on Tuesday will also include whether to approve the government’s plan to loosen restrictions over Christmas.