thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--3 Easy Recipes To Make At Home With The Kids

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Keeping kids entertained is a struggle at the best of times, but with the juggling act between work, video calls, child care, and homeschooling during coronavirus lockdown can be tiresome. It’s no wonder willpower is starting to fray.
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With so much time cooped up indoors, what better time than now to teach children the joys of cooking? Learn something new about food, where it comes from, and get stuck into fun, messy recipes together.
Three cookbook authors share their easy recipes that you can cook with the little ones that’ll keep them occupied and the grown-ups sane.
Banana Semolina Cake (Nga Pyaw Thee Sanwinmakin)
Serves: 12-16 pieces | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Emily Chung Nga Pyaw Thee Sanwinmakin (Banana Semolina Cake)
Slabs of red/purple-hued banana cake are a popular sweet snack in Myanmar. This is a recipe you can make with your kids and they will be wowed by the bright colour. No mixer, special equipment or techniques required and no eggs! The seed topping adds a good crunch and you can also add a couple of handfuls of raisins if you fancy it (raisins seem to be addictive to most kids)!
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Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
150g butter, melted
150g semolina (As coarse as you can find)
150g plain flour
200g caster sugar
400g can coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Decent splodge red food colouring (not essential but adds to the visual)
25g White poppy seeds or sesame seeds
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a square 8 x 8 inch baking tin.
2. Toast the semolina in a dry pan for about 5 minutes, take off the heat as it starts to colour.
3. Get the kids to peel and mash the bananas into a large bowl. Then combine with the semolina and remaining ingredients (they can weigh them out!) except for the poppy seeds. Mix well.
4. Decant the mix into the prepared baking tin. Sprinkle the seeds all over the top.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes by which time it should be firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cool on a rack. Can be eaten warm straight away or cold!
More recipes available from The Rangoon Sisters: Recipes from our Burmese family kitchen by Amy and Emily Chung, published by Ebury Publishing in Hardback at £20 is out 30 July 2020.
Tandoori Chicken Pizza
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Vivek Singh Tandoori Chicken Pizza
For years I’ve served small paneer cheese pizzas on naan bread, called naanza, as canapés in our restaurants, but there is no reason why they have to be vegetarian. This version with tandoori chicken and chillis works well, and so does a variation with cooking pancetta. For a veggie version, use grilled mushrooms, sweetcorn or paneer cheese instead of the meat. It is a great kid-friendly fresh Friday night dinner.
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Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil, ghee or butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
half a red pepper, finely diced
half a yellow pepper, finely diced
half a green pepper, finely diced
3 tomatoes, blended to puree
1, 1/2 tsp salt
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp single cream
1 tbsp chopped coriander
juice of 1 lemon
4 naan breads
1/2 quantity of tandoori-style chicken tikka, sliced or chopped or cook the pancetta as per packet instructions
50g cheddar or parmesan cheese, grated
Method
1. Heat the oil, ghee or butter in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, add the garlic and sauce for 1 minute until golden.
2. Add the onion and sauce for 3-4 minutes until it starts changing colour. Add the chilli flakes, salt and diced peppers and sauce for 5 minutes until they start turning soft.
3. Now add the tomatoes and cook for another 5-6minutes. Add the salt, green chillies and cream and mix well. Sprinkle with coriander and lemon juice. Leave to cool.
4. Preheat the grill to medium. Once the mixture has cooled down, spread the mixture on the naan breads, sprinkle with chopped tandoori chicken or cooked pancetta, sprinkle with grated cheese and place under the preheated grill. Grill for 5-6 minutes until the edges of the naan become crisp and the cheese melts. Alternatively, preheat the oven 180C/160c fan/Gas Mark 4 and cook the naan for 10-12 mins.
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5. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad of your choice.
Recipe from Spice at Home by Vivek Singh, published by Absolute Press in Hardback at £17.99.
Creamed Corn with Onions (Pyaung-Hpu Kyaw)
Serves: 4 as a side or toast topping | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Cristian Barnett Creamed Corn with Onions (Pyaung-Hpu Kyaw)
Condensed milk is the secret and perhaps startling ingredient in this recipe for Burmese creamed corn. Although I’m not sweet-toothed, I used to hoover this stuff up as a child and my kids now do the same and hopefully yours will too. Use double cream instead if you really must, but it’s worth trying it the way it should be, as pure comfort food (just try not to think about garmonbozia while you’re at it). Note that two different types of corn are desirable here to get the texture of Burmese corn (which comes in all sorts of different colours). This dish makes a good accompaniment to most curries or try it as a topping for toast.
Ingredients
2 medium onions (about 140g each), 1 sliced and 1 diced
4 tablespoons groundnut oil or other neutral-tasting oil
250g (or approximate weight) tinned sweetcorn
250g frozen sweetcorn
1 heaped tablespoon tapioca starch or cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons water to form a paste
1 tablespoon condensed milk or double cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
Method
1. Make the fried onion garnish. Use clean hands and stand over a sink to squeeze the sliced onion as hard as possible to get rid of any onion juice (I find microwaving the onion slices for a minute makes this job much easier).
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the sliced onion for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, and then turn the heat up to high and fry for another 5 minutes, until the onions brown and begin to crisp up a little. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and set to one side. Do not wash up the pan.
3. Briefly blitz all the sweetcorn (including the liquid from the tinned sweetcorn) in a blender or food processor until most but not all of the kernels break down into a mush.
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4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan you used for the sliced onion over a medium heat. Fry the diced onion for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the blitzed sweetcorn, the tapioca /cornflour paste, the condensed milk and the fish sauce if using, stir thoroughly and fry for another 10 minutes.
5. Serve warm, topped with the fried onions. You may find you make more fried onions than needed for this dish, but they make a tasty all-round garnish – try them sprinkled on top of noodles and salads and over rice and mashed potato.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--How I Cope: Looking Out Of My Window Has Become My New Favourite Pastime

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You’re reading How I Cope, a series sharing self-care tips as we all adjust to the coronavirus pandemic.
My own flat is a mirror image of the ones directly opposite my window. Older, but not like the Victorian period properties that dominate much of east London, ours are 1970s-style and perched on top of some shops. They have single-pane windows and decaying frontages, all weather-bitten tiles and mossy brick. They have confined terraces, like sheep pens, out on the rooftops.
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If I look over to the right there’s the newer apartments. All sparkly clean brick in shades of pale cream and rich red, like they are on the pamphlets promoting new houses. There’s new detailing in a terracotta colour to break up the brickwork, although I’m not sure of the material. They’re ever so slightly taller than the old houses, almost like the top flats in the new block are glaring down at us below.
I’d always been fascinated by the feeling of intimacy between myself, in my flat, and the humans that live in the flats across the road - but lockdown has magnified and intensified that interest. With endless days stretching anonymously into one another, I’ve naturally found myself staring out at the familiar figures opposite in moments of procrastination, or when I’ve been sat outside loading up on vitamin D during the long lockdown evenings.
The windows opposite, and their occupants, have become constants in my life in a period where so much is changing.
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From my window, I can see a guy I met on Grindr. He’s sat in his own flat – one of the newer, luxury apartments on my street – with the window flung open hoping to repel the heat and let some air in. I consider waving at him, but I can’t acknowledge him IRL! Who in their right minds would do that?
So instead I do what any right-thinking millennial would do and message him on Instagram (we moved the conversation over from the app a while ago). After a short conversation we agree that a socially-distanced walk around the park would be nice one day –– maybe I could gain some real insight into what life’s life on the other side in the plush new flats?
It certainly seems confined for the woman on the top floor who prances back and forth on the phone all day, presumably working from home, staring out the window on her calls and perched at her laptop at the desk near the window right in my eye-line.
She used to have her windows open, which offer broad and sweeping views from high up, but she has closed the blinds now in what I can only assume is a furious reaction to not being able to enjoy the outside world due to lockdown. Or perhaps she just saw me looking in on procrastination breaks and got triggered.
Back on the other side, a family with young kids crowd at the small, square window on the top floor room directly opposite mine. They’re there night and day, staring at what I presume is the TV.
If I glance two doors down, further to my left, there’s the housemates on the sesh every Friday who wave drunkenly across the road at me, also on the sesh, dancing alone in my living room, waving back. On some Friday nights we’ve been known to dance ‘together’ from across the street; once they even went for a cigarette and yelled something over at me while waving their arms excitedly in the air, but I couldn’t hear them properly so I laughed awkwardly and went back inside. The following day, hungover, we obviously never dream of acknowledging one another.
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During the daytimes, people queue down the side road that splits the older houses and the newer ones to access the bank in an age of social distancing. Sometimes my flatmate, also working from home, pops into my room and we discuss the length of the queue. “It’s reached Cash Converters!” she cried, on one particularly exciting Wednesday.
Everyone has to join that queue, I remember. For the bank, or for the supermarket, which I can also see if I peer further to the left. It sort of democratises the lockdown for all of us, that queue: no matter which of the houses we each live in –– nice or shabby –– we all still have to join it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--This Is What Happens When A Global Pandemic Lands Just As Your Ambitions Are Taking Off

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The global coronavirus pandemic has led to full or partial lockdowns in more than 100 countries worldwide, putting the lives of billions of people effectively on hold.
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For thousands of people it has come with personal tragedy and irretrievable loss. For others, it has led to a revaluation of priorities and appreciation for social connections. For many, it has felt like being kept on hold with no end in sight.
But for some, it came just as they were about to embark on a transformative change – one that may have taken years or decades to build up to, only for the outbreak to bring their long-awaited ambitions to a screeching halt.
HuffPost UK spoke to five people who were on the cusp of embarking upon long-awaited ambitions just as the pandemic hit.
Carla Brown. Carla Brown
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The entrepreneur
Carla Brown, 31, left her job at a London agency in December to start her own fashion interior design company.
She had moved to the capital in 2015 to get enough experience to “be my own boss” and because she felt her home town, Belfast, had “no opportunities”.
“At the start I felt so optimistic and really passionate,” she told HuffPost UK. “I thought: ‘If I don’t do it now I’ll regret it.’”
When the country moved into lockdown, opportunities almost instantly dried up.
She said she was “scared” but recruiters reassured her that things would get better. They were wrong.
The outbreak has, in her words, “definitely f***ed” her ambitions.
Instead of devoting her time to exciting projects, she has been forced to claim Universal Credit while she scours job websites for basic freelance work “to just survive”.
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“My main aim for now is money to pay rent instead of following my dreams,” she said. She worries small retailers will go bust as a result of the pandemic.
“It’s hard to be optimistic at a time like this,” she admitted. “Mentally it’s just a constant battle to keep positive, which is hard as you see what’s been going on with the economy.”
The musician
2019 was a good year for singer songwriter Roxanne de Bastion. “It was very exciting because I had the chance to work with Bernard Butler on my second album,” she told HuffPost UK.
“We finished recording the whole album just after Christmas and I had my release plan ready and then the global pandemic hit.”
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A single release in May and a tour later in the year to accompany the album release had to be scrapped as the UK live entertainment industry ground to a complete standstill.
“It was devastating for so many reasons,” she said. “Firstly, you pour your entire heart and life into a project, writing the album then recording it and you’re so proud of the thing you’ve created.
“And it’s not just a huge emotional investment, it’s a huge financial one. And I do it for playing live.
“It’s about connecting with people, and meeting new people and the adrenaline of walking on stage. Having the show moved was one thing but the creeping realisation that this is going to last a while, that was quite difficult to come to terms with.”
Undeterred, de Bastion went on tour anyway – from her living room.
“I just had the idea to do a virtual tour and work together with independent venues and promoters that I’ve worked with before and take over their social media channels and that way I could play to my audience but also find a new one.”
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So de Bastion played a seven-date, free-to-view UK tour, all without leaving the house. And for a musician who normally depends on gig ticket sales to make a living, it worked.
“I just decided to ask for donations for gig tickets and considering I didn’t have any travel expenses, I actually ended up pretty much the same as what I would have done if I’d gone on a solo tour.”
The playwright
Olivia Hannah, 41, started writing plays in 2017 and her first, Braids, was about to be shown at Live Theatre in Newcastle.
“And that would have been my full length professional debut,” she told HuffPost UK.
“It felt miraculous. I put everything into this play and it felt like everything had fallen into place.”
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The competitiveness of the industry only added to the sense of accomplishment for Hannah. “It’s tough and it’s always really oversubscribed,” she said.
“I think Live Theatre, every submissions window, get hundreds and hundreds of submissions and it’s really hard to break through and get your work in front of an audience. It’s a massive deal.”
Olivia Hannah. Olivia Hannah
Live Theatre, like all theatres across the UK, is now closed and reopening hinges entirely on how the pandemic pans out.
But there was consolation for Hannah. “We got an invitation to be on Radio 4, one of the productions they decided to pick up [for an arts feature] was our little play.
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“There was a brief interview with me and we had a reading. Luckily, both the actors were available so we did a live reading via Skype. It was great.
“It was quite bittersweet because we had a Zoom rehearsal beforehand which was absolutely brilliant, getting to see the director and the actors dig into the scenes and talk about the characters and all the stuff I love about theatre.
“But of course it’s not the same as being in the room together.”
The designer
Brian Walker, 34, had also harboured dreams of starting his own company when he left his full-time job as a graphic designer in February. Returning to London after a year travelling across Southeast Asia, he felt stifled by the constraints of office politics and domineering bosses.
He had heard from friends who became self-employed last year and had loved it. “I couldn’t wait to get started. I could finally choose to work on design work I actually liked and cared about,” he said.
Barely a fortnight after his work leaving drinks, lockdown was announced. In the weeks that followed, Brian found recruiters more than eager to chat on the phone – but it was more out of boredom than because companies were hiring freelancers.
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“The timing has just been terrible,” he told HuffPost UK. “If I hadn’t quit at that time and waited another month or two, I would still have money coming in. At worst I’d have been furloughed.”
After the initial panic, however, Brian claims things aren’t too bad. Being unemployed meant he had plenty of time for marathon-training and taking long bike rides across the almost dystopian landscape of central London.
“I was actually loving lockdown,” he said. “And work has started to pick up too, so I’m not too stressed about money.”
Ian Adams. Ian Adams
The retiree
On March 23, 63-year-old Ian Adams was supposed to be newly-retired and jetting off on the “trip of a lifetime” to California with his partner.
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Instead, he watched helplessly as Boris Johnson announced the coronavirus lockdown.
“It’s been a really rough and bumpy few months for me,” he told HuffPost UK.
After decades working in marketing, Adams had sat down with a financial advisor last September and was delighted to learn that after a new six-month contract expired in March, he would be set for retirement.
“I had enough to cover groceries, running the car, and other expenses, and my cash pot pensions would supplement holidays or buying a car or anything like that on an occasional basis,” he said.
“I moved in with a new partner in the autumn last year and I had a long list of projects and painting and decorating and I was going to find some kind of volunteering job.”
Then the global pandemic hit.
“The choice of retiring or not has been completely taken away from me. I’ve had to go back into the market, job-searching as best I can.”
But despite the drastic changes to his retirement plans, Adams is remarkably chipper.
“Maybe I’ve just reached that point in my age,” he said. “I’ve been made redundant before when I was in my 40s and you have family and the cost of living and mortgages to cover and it really put the pressure on.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--I’m A GP, And I Don’t Know When Things Will Be ‘Okay’ Again

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Fear. Frustration. Futility. These are just some of the emotions I have experienced in my work as a GP over these past months.
When coronavirus began to emerge from China, I was initially filled with an inflated sense of security that if the virus did arrive, we here would have the power, intellect and sophistication to control it rapidly.
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But perhaps I was too influenced, subconsciously, by all those apocalyptic films from my childhood where mankind always came together to beat any obstacle. As this creeping death edged closer, it became apparent that the threat was not being taken seriously enough.
While restaurants and bars were ordered to close in Italy, cases of chest infections in fit and healthy patients began to appear here, some unable to explain the severity of their symptoms other than an influenza-like illness. More and more patients reported feeling unwell – but our lagging clinical systems put us behind the spread of the virus. Quickly, it became clear that the spread of the virus in the community was not being monitored adequately.
The first few admissions from our local hospital began to trickle in, closely followed by the first few deaths – initially the very frail with multiple comorbidities, but within a few days whole households began to fall ill. Our laissez faire lockdown eventually arrived as surgery consultations filled with patients calling in with flu-like symptoms, and confusion was rife. Is it fever and a cough, a fever or a cough? What is a ‘continuous’ cough?
“Most of us were stoic in the face of peril – but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t petrified deep down.”
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Desperate patients requested medical notes to allow them to shield despite not falling into any category, while elderly Covid-positive patients judged well enough were being discharged back to their nursing homes, likely going on to infect others.
And as the number of deaths of patients at home continued to rise, colleagues caring for them began to fall ill too. Friends and colleagues recovered, but I heard of colleagues of colleagues who did not fare so well: a health care assistant who worked in my old trust, a nurse who trained my friend, the GP partner of a doctor I work with in one of my clinics. Suddenly, we were vulnerable and exposed and expected to make the ultimate sacrifice. Most of us were stoic in the face of such peril – but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t petrified deep down.
Amid the chaos, though, both doctors and patients adapted. Photos of rashes are emailed in, texts can be sent, clinical signs are assessed via video. There are plenty of iPhone-savvy eighty-year olds, but the small number without access to email or a smartphone have found it difficult.
Surgeries like mine have remained open throughout this time, but we’re seeing patients opt to stay away from the health service due to fear of contracting the virus. Patients need to be encouraged to seek help but with the pandemic expected to stay with us for some time I cannot see how services can resume to a pre-Covid state – leaving the health of the country in a precarious position.
We will adapt to the ‘new normal’ but everything comes back to testing. Without adequate surveillance, by the time a second rise in cases could be documented, the virus will have already spread once more. While this impasse remains, patients will continue to hesitate about attending for blood pressure checks or cervical smears – and who can blame them? I certainly feel a fleeting sense of dread when I physically see each patient, worrying whether they might pass on Covid-19 to me, or indeed vice versa.
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“Some people thank me for what I do, some people may even clap for us on Thursday evenings but that doesn’t lessen my apprehension about my job.”
HANNAH MCKAY via Getty Images
Simply, lockdown cannot be lifted without a test, track and trace system in place. Watching images of tubes and buses filled with commuters leaves me extremely anxious about the next few weeks. I expecting we will see a rise in patients presenting with Covid symptoms, being unable to test them and whole families falling ill. Less of an apocalyptic movie, and more reminiscent of Groundhog Day.
Like many key workers, I have had to reduce physical contact with my children. My youngest child, being vulnerable, is no longer allowed to climb into my bed at night. I fight this inner battle between my heart and head every day. My son’s a sensitive soul who takes comfort in being held – to cut him off so suddenly has been immensely hard, and I worry daily what impact this will have on him, especially when he’s anxious about me going to work and I can’t even hold him to console him.
Some people thank me for what I do, some people may even clap for us on Thursday evenings but that doesn’t lessen my apprehension about my job. At the moment, I cannot see when things will improve. We as a country still hold this inflated sense of security that everything will just be okay as long we keep saying the right words and repeating the same slogans. Ultimately, it’s the virus which will have the last say.
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Dr Sara Ahmed is a general practioner based in London


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Why Lockdown Could Mean Make Or Break For Your Relationship

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Lockdown made many of us reassess life and make revised plans for the future. But what happens if your new outlook is different from your partner’s?
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The unprecedented period of living in each other’s pockets – or conducting a relationship through a screen – may have meant make or break for many couples, according to relationship therapists.
In a survey of 2,058 UK adults, to mark Relate charity’s Relationship Week, one in 10 respondents in a relationship said lockdown made them realise they want to propose to their partner, while 8% came to the conclusion that they needed to end their relationship.
“There will be more weddings as well as more divorces when the world around us slowly gets back to normal,” predicts Lucy Fuller, a psychotherapist who offers couples therapy.
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nadia_bormotova via Getty Images
Some couples may have enjoyed increased intimacy, says Fuller, finding themselves in a “lockdown love bubble”.
“If people decided to be in lockdown together when they usually live separately, this may well have accelerated the relationship and many couples will be moving permanently in together with confidence, without the more normal period of weighing up the advantages and disadvantages,” she says.
Equally, if you and your partner realise you have very similar outlooks during lockdown and feel like a united team who can support one another through hard times, it could be the making of the relationship.
However, the experience may be the opposite for others. In fact, a separate poll from Relate found 23% of adults in relationships are experiencing relationship pressures during lockdown.
The research suggests younger people aged 16-34 are feeling the most pressure on their relationships. More than a third (38%) of 16-34 year olds in relationships said they’d struggled to support their partner emotionally during lockdown, compared to 23% across all age groups and just 14% of over-55s.
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Relate counsellor Dee Holmes says the pandemic has given many people the time to re-evaluate life – including their relationships. “Some have realised they want a simpler life and appreciate the smaller things more,” she says. “Some partners may be reassessing things and find their partners reassess life differently.”
Little “niggles” present in the relationship pre-lockdown will have also been magnified due to the intensity of the situation. “There has been no escape and no friends and family to dilute the intensity of the relationship, so inevitably the less favourable aspects of your partner will shine through,” says Fuller.
The lockdown rules themselves may have caused arguments among couples – or highlighted differences you didn’t know existed. Fuller spoke to one pair who have decided to go their separate ways once lockdown is over due to their different views on social distancing. One person in the relationship was happy to don a mask, confidently go to the shops and carry on with life, while the other was anxious about catching the virus and leaving the house.
“Digging deeper, there is a partnership here of a very outgoing confident person who wants to go out, explore and experience the strangeness of lockdown, with an extremely cautious partner who wants to hide away from the dangerous world outside,” she says. “Reflecting on this at a deeper level, it’s inevitable to have thoughts about whether this really is the long-term partner for you.”
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Relationship therapists see a peak in calls after the Christmas holidays when families have been cooped up together, says Holmes – and she’s expecting to see the same peak post-lockdown.
But, she adds, if you’re considering splitting up or even starting divorce proceedings, “hold fire” and let the dust settle post-lockdown, if you can.
“There’s a lot of external pressures on couples such as money worries, concerns about job security and fear around catching the virus,” she says. “Then, of course, there’s having to stay at home with your partner for longer periods than usual.
“If you have a relationship where you like your separate time, this may come as a shock, but when you spend more time apart again, you may find the relationship works better.”
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If you’re having a lot of arguments, Holmes recommends calling a “truce” to ease some of the tensions. Relationship therapy is still available via online sessions, she adds, and you might want to consider seeking support before the relationship reaches crisis point.
Wherever you sit on the scale – make, break, or somewhere in between – it can feel empowering to recognise that lockdown has provided a new perspective on your relationship. That can only be a good thing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Easy Summer Dessert Recipes That Won't Drain Your Energy

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Let’s face it, by now you’ve had enough coronavirus-era sourdoughs and banana breads to last you a lifetime. If you want to bake something new ― or better yet, not bake anything at all ― we’ve got 31 super-simple dessert ideas for you.
Not everyone’s definition of an “easy” dessert is the same, we know. For one person, easy means baking a cake from scratch without decorating it, while for others it means popping open a plastic cup of instant pudding and dipping in a spoon. (We endorse both.)
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The recipes below range in difficulty level, but all offer an easier version of something that could be a whole lot harder. For instance, you’ll see ice cream cakes that are made with store-bought ice cream, tarts made with frozen puff pastry, cheesecakes that require absolutely no baking and cobblers whose ingredients can all be dumped into one big pot.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Boris Johnson Regrets 'Confusion And Anger' Caused By Dominic Cummings Row

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Boris Johnson has said he regrets the “confusion and anger” caused by the Dominic Cummings row as he once again leapt to defend his embattled adviser.
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Johnson said he continued to back Cummings, after the senior aide had attempted to face down anger over his trip to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown with a special press conference in Downing Street on Monday.
Johnson said: “I cannot give unconditional backing to anybody, but I do not believe anybody in Number 10 has done anything to undermine our messaging.”
The former Vote Leave boss refused to apologise, claimed he “acted reasonably” and said he had no regrets in travelling 260 miles out of London to his parents’ home as it was to ensure childcare for his son.
He also claimed a trip to the town of Barnard Castle - where he was spotted by a witness - was to have an eye test as he was worried his vision had been affected by coronavirus.
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Cummings also admitted that he did not inform the PM of his plans.
Johnson, who led the Downing Street daily briefing on coronavirus later on Monday, said: “Do I regret what has happened? Yes, of course I do regret the confusion and the anger and the pain that people feel,” he said.
Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Refusing follow-up questions to journalists, Johnson insisted Cummings had done nothing wrong.
The PM said: “To the best of my knowledge, Mr Cummings has just subjected himself to your interrogation for quite a long time now about these very detailed matters and has produced quite a substantial chunk of autobiography about what happened in the period from March 27 to April 14.
“I really feel that it would be wrong of me to try to comment further. I think people will have to make their minds up. I think he spoke at great length. To me, he came across as somebody who cared very much about his family and who was doing the best for his family.”
Johnson also claimed his own eyesight had been affected by coronavirus. “I’m finding that I have to wear spectacles for the first time in years – I think because of the effects of this thing – so I’m inclined to think there’s some … I think that’s very, very plausible that eyesight can be a problem associated with coronavirus.” Reports in 2014, quote the PM as saying “I’m now so short-sighted, I’m blind”, suggesting the PM has had trouble with his eyesight previously.
Asked why he was not told about Cummings’ trip north, Johnson said: “I didn’t know about any of the arrangements in advance.”
Cummings’ public statement came after a string of Tory MPs called for Johnson to sack him, with many reporting angry constituents getting in touch. While some tweeted support after the conference, others have yet to comment.
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said Cummings’ behaviour had damaged trust in the government and its approach to coronavirus.
He completely undermined your public health messaging and rules. If everyone had behaved like that this lockdown would have collapsed. And I hope you’re not endorsing going for a 30 mile drive if you’re worried about your eyesight... https://t.co/50fhMzrYdo — Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) May 25, 2020
Several other Labour MPs tweeted an identical message within the space of a few minutes, reading: “It’s one rule for Boris Johnson’s closest adviser, another for everybody else.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Shops To Reopen In June As Boris Johnson Maps Route Out Of Lockdown

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All shops in England will reopen by June 15, Boris Johnson has said as he set out the next steps for easing the coronavirus lockdown.
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Outdoor markets and car showrooms will be also able to open earlier - from June 1 - if they can meet the Covid-19 secure guidelines to protect shoppers and workers, the PM said at Monday’s Downing Street briefing.
Johnson said he hoped the move would help the economy bounce back from the pandemic.
“I’m certainly not going to discourage them [the public] from spending at all,” he said.
“I think that it’s early days but we are very much hoping there will be a bounce back over the next few months.”
New guidance for the retail sector “detailing the measures they should take to meet the necessary social distancing and hygiene standards” will be set out by the government, Johnson said.
“Shops now have the time to implement this guidance before they reopen,” he said.
“This will ensure there can be no doubt about what steps they should take.”
The prime minister said it was possible for outdoor retail to go first as transmission of the virus was less likely in the open air.
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From June 15, “all other non-essential retail” will be allowed to reopen, contingent on progress in the fight against coronavirus and if the businesses are “Covid secure”.
He said: “We will set out our formal assessment of the five tests that we set for adjusting the lockdown later this week as part of the three-weekly review we are legally required to undertake by Thursday.
“But because of the progress we are making I can, with confidence, put the British people on notice of the changes we intend to introduce as we move to step two.”
Boris Johnson said the authorities would “have the powers we need to enforce compliance where that is required”.
“I want people to be confident that they can shop safely provided they follow the social distancing rules for all premises,” he added.
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Responding to the news, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “We welcome the announcement of the Government’s road map for reopening a broader range of shops next month, which provides much needed clarity on the route ahead.
“Safety is the fundamental concern for all retailers and they have been working hard to implement the necessary measures to operate safely over the past weeks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Dominic Cummings Says He Has No Regrets Over Alleged Lockdown Breaches

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Dominic Cummings has come out fighting for his job, saying at an extraordinary briefing in Downing Street he “acted reasonably” by driving to Durham during lockdown and has no regrets.
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Boris Johnson’s senior aide had been under intense pressure to resign after he drove some 260 miles to Durham and made another trip to the town of Barnard Castle while there.
A string of Tory MPs have called on the PM to sack his adviser, after they were inundated with complaints from the public who have been obeying the ‘stay at home regulations’ stringently.
But Cummings attempted to face down criticism of his actions on Monday, telling reporters “I have not offered to resign”, adding: “I have not considered it.”
The adviser said fears over a lack of childcare for his four-year-old son, as his wife was ill and he was later diagnosed with Covid, drove the decision.
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He denies breaking the rules or the spirit of the rules.
Asked if he felt he owed an apology to the public, he said: “I don’t think I’m so different, and I don’t think there’s one rule for me and one rule for other people.
“As I said, I knew what the guidance was. It talks about exceptional circumstances with small children, and I think that in all the circumstances I behaved reasonably and legally as I said.”
He went on to say “I do not regret what I did” but added that “reasonable people may well disagree”.
The press conference was hastily organised on Monday afternoon after Johnson refusing to sack Cummings and claiming his aide acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity” stoked further fury.
The former Vote Leave boss also confirmed that he went on a “short drive” to Barnard Castle because his eyesight had been affected by the disease and his wife did not want to risk the long drive back to London.
He said: “My wife was very worried, particularly as my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease.”
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Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street. ASSOCIATED PRESS
He added: “We did not visit the castle, we did not walk around the town.”
Cummings said that during his time in Durham “at no point did any of the three of us enter my parents’ house or sister’s house”.
He said their only exchanges were “shouted conversations at a distance” and his sister left shopping outside for them.
Addressing criticism from scores of families who felt they had to stick to the ‘stay at home’ advice issued by government, and Cummings said: “I know that millions of people in this country have been suffering, thousands have died, many are angry about what they have seen in the media about my actions,” he said.
“I want to clear up the confusions and misunderstandings where I can.
“In retrospect, I should have made this statement earlier.”
He said he also had concerns about his family’s safety as his home in London had become “a target”.
He also admitted he did not tell the prime minister, who had tested positive for coronavirus, about his decision.
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“I know that millions of people in this country have been suffering, thousands have died, many are angry about what they have seen in the media about my actions,” he said.
“I want to clear up the confusions and misunderstandings where I can.
“In retrospect, I should have made this statement earlier.”
He said he had received threats, adding: “The truth is that I had argued for lockdown, I did not oppose it but these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home, I was subjected to threats of violence, people came to my house shouting threats, there were posts on social media encouraging attacks.”
Cummings said he was worried that “this situation would get worse” and “I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and often into the night while I worked in Number 10.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Watch Live: Boris Johnson Gives Latest Coronavirus Update

Watch Live: Boris Johnson Gives Latest Coronavirus Update
Prime minister Boris Johnson leads the daily coronavirus press briefing. Under new plans considered by the government, the public could be allowed to hold BBQs and garden parties within weeks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--BBQs And Garden Parties Could Be Allowed Within Weeks Under Lockdown Easing Plan

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The public will be allowed to hold barbecues and garden parties with people from outside their household from the end of June, under plans being considered by the government.
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Senior insiders have told HuffPost UK that the relaxation of the lockdown rules, which could be announced as early as today, is part of Boris Johnson’s determination to give Britons something to look forward to as the threat of Covid-19 reduces.
The issue was discussed at the cabinet meeting on Monday as part of a wider strategy of gradually changing the currently strict restrictions on daily life.
The new permission to host others inside your garden will be accompanied by several preconditions, but could be part of a wider move to allow people to mix in ‘social bubbles’ of up to 10 people outdoors.
The government in Northern Ireland has already indicated that it will allow outdoor groups of up to six people from outside a household, as long as they follow social distancing rules.
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But the BBQ/garden party proposal would go further, and is seen by some as a way of securing support for a similar idea of ‘protective bubble’ groups within primary schools of up to 15 pupils plus a teacher.
Conservative party leadership candidate Boris Johnson during a tour of the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) garden at Wisley, in Surrey. PA Wire/PA Images
The PM himself hinted on Sunday that he favoured extra relaxation of social contacts in coming weeks, as part of a phased approach to unwinding key parts of the lockdown.
Amid sunny weather, many families and friends have already appeared to have held barbecues or parties in their gardens and the new rules would authorise them without the police having to intervene.
Under the government’s plan to exit lockdown, key tests have to be met, including lowering the number of coronavirus cases and ensuring the ‘R’ number of transmission is low enough to prevent a second peak of the pandemic.
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Johnson later announced at the No.10 press conference that non-essential shops would be able to open from June 15, as long as their premises were ‘Covid-secure’.
Department stores and other shops will be allowed to trade for the first time since the lockdown began on March 23, if they impose social distancing measures and other protections.
Outdoor markets and car showrooms will also be able to open from June 1, the PM revealed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--More Than 500,000 People Have Signed A Petition Calling For Dominic Cummings To Be Sacked

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More than 500,000 people have now signed a petition calling for Dominic Cummings to be sacked.
The change.org petition, entitled ‘Dominic Cummings must be sacked’ was set up on Saturday, and on Monday afternoon was racking up hundreds of signatures every minute.
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It was revealed by The Mirror and The Guardian on Friday that the prime minister’s chief advisor had broken lockdown rules just days after they were announced by Boris Johnson – travelling some 260 miles to Durham with his family.
Cummings travelled to County Durham in March to self-isolate with his family – apparently because he feared that he and his wife would be left unable to care for their son – while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.
The PM has backed this version of events, telling the nation that Cummings’ had acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity”, following the “instincts” of “every parent”.
Further reports also suggest he took a second trip to the North East in April, having already returned to London following his recovery from Covid-19 – a disease which has seen more than 45,000 people in the UK die after contracting it. Downing Street and Cummings himself have vehemently denied a second trip.
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The PM has since faced fierce criticism for his handling of the saga, with some of his own MPs calling for Cummings to resign or be sacked, and scientific advisors warning that his actions – and the PM’s backing – had “fatally undermined” the aim of lockdown.
One of the petition’s signatories wrote: “There’s no justification for travelling 250 miles for family support, we all have to rely on local friends and online shops when isolating.”
Another added: “He should not be allowed to behave differently to the rest of the country.
“By going against his own advice he makes a mockery of what every other British person has been told to do.
“If he is not sacked or does not resign he risks creating even more disillusionment... with the government.”
In a highly unusual move, the Downing Street advisor has announced that he will be making his own statement on Monday afternoon.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--UK Records 77 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 36,870

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The number of people who have died across England, Scotland and Wales after contracting coronavirus has risen by 77 in 24 hours.
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The increase consists of 59 hospital patients in England, three people in Scotland, eight people in Northern Ireland and seven hospital patients and care home residents in Wales.
So far, no UK-wide figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have been released, so the total is taken from each nation’s individual reporting.
It brings the working total to 36,870.
But the government tally, when it is released later today, will be significantly higher as it includes deaths in care homes (missing from the individual figures in at least England) and the community (missing from at least England and Wales). Here’s a quick primer on what all the different numbers mean and how to understand them.
The patients who died in England were aged between 44 and 98 years old, NHS England said. Four of the 59 patients – aged between 56 and 91 – had no known underlying health condition.
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The number of deaths reported by NHS England is significantly lower than it has been previously.
It is likely that this can be attributed to a reporting delay over the bank holiday, but a spokesperson for NHS England also explained that the Covid Patient Notification System did not operate between 5am and 3pm on Sunday, May 24 due to “connectivity issues experienced by an external supplier.”
This may therefore have an impact on the number of deaths reported by NHS England.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Jacinda Ardern's Live TV Interview Interrupted By Earthquake: ‘Quite A Decent Shake Here’

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An earthquake struck near New Zealand’s capital on Monday morning, shaking many residents including prime minister Jacinda Ardern who continued with a live TV interview at the parliament building.
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake was 37km deep and the epicentre was 30km northwest of Levin, a city in New Zealand’s North Island close to the capital Wellington, according to Geonet.
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Geonet first classified the earthquake as magnitude 5.9. Although no damage was reported it lasted for more than 30 seconds and caused panic in Wellington with several people in offices and homes getting under their tables for cover.
Why am I not surprised that Jacinda Ardern casually takes an earthquake interrupting her interview in her stridepic.twitter.com/mq4h6LuTfC — 🇳🇿 • eloise • 🇫🇷 (@reyloise) May 24, 2020
The tremors started as Ardern was on TV from the parliament building, called the beehive.
“Quite a decent shake here ... if you see things moving behind me. The beehive moves a little more than most,” she joked on the AM Show on Newshub.
Ardern assured the host that she was safe and the interview resumed.
“I’m not under any hanging lights and I look like I am in a structurally strong place,” she added.
When updated later on the earthquake she said it was “not an unreasonable shake”.
That was a sharp shake for a Monday morning, NZ! M5.8, centred 30 kilometres NW of Levin and 45 kilometres deep. We've registered nearly 37,000 felt reports from all over the country - from north of Auckland to Dunedin. Hope everyone's OK! #eqnz https://t.co/HRXg8fQ2RZ pic.twitter.com/qgZFEL4SRW — GeoNet (@geonet) May 24, 2020
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New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.
The city of Christchurch is still recovering from a 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that killed 185 people.
In 2016, a 7.8 magnitude tremor hit the South Island town of Kaikoura, killing two and causing billions of dollars worth of damage, including in Wellington.
The shaking was felt by about 37,000 people on Geonet’s app.
Emergency services in Wellington City said there were no immediate reports of damage. All trains in Wellington were suspended while engineers assessed the impact, the city’s Metlink service said on Twitter.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Pointless Host Richard Osman Reveals Secret Weapon To Increasing Show's Ratings Is... Matt Hancock

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Richard Osman has claimed Pointless’ ratings increase when health secretary Matt Hancock is delivering the daily government briefings on the other channel.
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The quiz show often goes head to head with news coverage of the press conferences, after being bumped from its usual teatime slot on BBC One to BBC Two during the pandemic.
And Richard has said viewing figures for Pointless fluctuate depending on which minister is speaking – and it’s awkward news for Hancock.
Health secretary Matt Hancock during a recent media briefing PA
Speaking to Radio Times, Richard said: “Pointless is definitely getting a new audience, although we’re up against Boris Johnson or Matt Hancock sometimes.
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“If it’s Matt Hancock, our ratings shoot up, but when it’s Rishi Sunak, we’re in trouble.”
Richard added that the chancellor was “very much the Bradley Walsh of the cabinet”, in reference to how Pointless often loses out to Bradley’s ITV quiz show The Chase in the teatime ratings battle.
Pointless hosts Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman BBC
Richard’s co-host Alexander Armstrong believes the ongoing health crisis has seen a rise in the popularity of quiz shows because they “distract” people from real life.
He said: “We’re spending an awful lot of time inside our heads. For some people, that’s a nice place to be, and for some, it’s a very difficult place to be.
“A quiz show distracts you. You can’t be worrying as much if you’re trying to think of an African country.“
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Offering his advice to families and groups of friends putting together their own virtual quizzes during lockdown, Richard – who created the Pointless format – said: “Don’t ask too many questions with specific answers.
″‘Which South American country won the first World Cup?’ – you can at least chat and guess.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Strictly Come Dancing 2020 Line-Up Rumours: Meet The Celebrities Tipped To Take Part

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So far, 10 celebrities have been confirmed so far, including Caroline Quentin, Jason Bell, Max George and Clara Amfo.
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Also competing in 2020 will be Ranvir Singh, JJ Chalmers, Bill Bailey and Nicola Adams, who will make history as part of the show’s first ever same-sex pairing.
Maisie Smith of EastEnders fame is also taking part, while Jamie Laing will be returning to the ballroom following his accident last year.
The big question is, with just a couple of spots left on the line-up, who else has been tipped to be taking part? Here’s a quick round-up of possible names...
Maya Jama
David M. Benett via Getty Images
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Former Radio 1 DJ Maya Jama is someone who’s rumoured to have been on Strictly bosses’ wishlist for some time – she even said in 2018 that she’d turned it down as she was concerned viewers wouldn’t know who she was.
In April 2020, it was reported by The Mirror that producers had made a “six-figure offer” to get Maya, and only a few weeks later, she announced she was leaving Radio 1 as future commitments meant she didn’t have time to commit to her usual weekend show.
At the time, she joked on Instagram: “Lol on it if they add a dancehall section.”
Still, we reckon she could well be one to look out for.
Steph McGovern
Kirsty O'Connor - PA Images via Getty Images
It’s been well-documented that 2020 is the year Strictly bosses want to introduce their first same-sex partnership to the dance floor, with The Sun reporting in June that producers are hoping the pair will be formed of two women.
This, of course, turned out to be true when Nicola Adams was announced for the series, but at the time, the tabloid also revealed a list of other famous women who were supposedly in the frame, which included Jessie J, Gillian Anderson and former BBC Breakfast star Steph McGovern, who would be the latest in a long line of the show’s presenters to do the Strictly.
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Phillip Schofield
Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
The Daily Star reported This Morning presenter Phillip was in “top secret talks” to compete as part of one of the show’s same-sex couples, after coming out as gay earlier this year.
However, this was shot down by his spokesperson, who insisted to Radio Times that the claims were completely “untrue”, adding: “He is not in talks with the BBC.”
Myleene Klass
David M. Benett via Getty Images
It’s not just us who could have sworn Myleene Klass had already done Strictly Come Dancing, right? Well, she hasn’t, but it’s looking like 2020 could well be her year.
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The Daily Star reported in May that Myleene was near the top of producers’ hit-list, having already made a stir on shows like I’m A Celebrity and, of course, Popstars.
And speaking of Popstars...
Nicki Chapman
Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Yes, that same Daily Star report also named Nicki Chapman as a potential celebrity contestant on the upcoming series.
The showbiz outlet claimed producers were keen on seeing Nicki and Myleene competing against one another, with the former having been a judge when the latter was a contestant on Popstars, eventually making it through to the winning group, Hear’Say.
Sophie Hinch
Jeff Spicer via Getty Images
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Perhaps better known under her online moniker Mrs Hinch, Sophie is the vlogger responsible for making thousands of viewers around the UK think differently about cleaning (and getting them to stock up on Zoflora, of course).
Having already attracted YouTube stars over the last two years, The Mirror reported that bosses were keen to continue the trend in 2020, with Mrs Hinch’s name cropping up as one that the BBC was especially keen on signing.
Michelle Keegan
Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Well, it wouldn’t be a Strictly rumours round-up without a mention for Michelle Keegan, would it?
The former Coronation Street star has literally been rumoured for Strictly every year since she quit the soap (six years ago!), and true to form, she was “tipped” for the upcoming series back in April.
However, a source has since told The Sun that she’s not interested, as she has “more pressing things in the pipeline”.
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Angellica Bell
Tim P. Whitby via Getty Images
Former CBBC presenter and regular One Show host and contributor Angelica has been linked to Strictly a number of times before, but has so far never joined the line-up.
However, she recently addressed the rumours in an interview with The Sun, saying cryptically: “I like challenges, so who knows?
“I can’t imagine ever learning steps but I like clubbing and think I’m quite a good dancer. But that doesn’t mean it will translate to Strictly.”
Katie McGlynn
Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
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Like Michelle, Katie McGlynn has repeatedly been linked with a spot on Strictly, as well as its ITV rival Dancing On Ice, since stepping down from her role as Sinead in Corrie.
The Mirror reported that Katie had been linked with a spot on this year’s line-up, after impressing viewers with her turn on the celebrity version of The Greatest Dancer for Sport Relief.
Joe Wicks
Comic Relief via Getty Images
One of the true stars of lockdown, Joe Wicks has been keeping the nation fit and raising thousands for the NHS in the process.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was to capitalise on his surge in popularity and sign up for one of the most-watched shows on TV, with The Sun claiming he was at the centre of a bidding war between Strictly and I’m A Celebrity.
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However, The Body Coach has since confirmed to Metro that he won’t be signing up this year, pointing out that “the same rumour [has circulated] every year for three years now”.
Michelle Ackerley
Karwai Tang via Getty Images
According to The Sun, Michelle Ackerley could be following in the footsteps of fellow CBBC star Karim Zeroual by participating on the show.
She is known to kids and adults alike, hosting Art Ninja on the BBC’s children’s network and presenting The One Show and Watchdog.
She’s also no stranger to reality TV, having competed on Celebrity Masterchef a couple of years ago.
Alan Carr
PA
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After Alan was strongly rumoured to be joining the Strictly line-up last year, he told the Loose Women that 2020 could finally be the year he signs up.
He said at the time: “I will do it, but next year. I’ve got a busy year. They cornered me and they said, ‘Would you do it?’”
Fingers crossed they’ve managed to persuade him this time.
Catherine Tate
Newspix via Getty Images
Probably the most surprising stars on this list, sketch comedian Catherine Tate was named as one of the celebrities being eyed by Strictly bosses back in April.
The Mirror reported that because of Catherine’s existing profile in the UK, they were willing to fork out to get her on the line-up.
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Iain Stirling
David M. Benett via Getty Images
Love Island’s narrator has got a bit of time on his hands after both the summer and winter series of the ITV2 reality show were cancelled, but The Sun reported Strictly bosses were hoping to fill his schedule by signing him up.
He’d also be able to get some dance tips from his girlfriend and Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, who took part on the 2016 series of Strictly.
RuPaul
PA
RuPaul was one of the first names attached to this year’s series back in April after the success of Drag Race co-star Michelle Visage on Strictly in 2019.
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However, with travel restrictions to and from the US currently in place and filming on various series of Drag Race needing to be rescheduled, who knows if Ru would even be able to take part now.
Tamzin Outhwaite
SIPA USA/PA Images
After Tamzin’s EastEnders character was killed off in spectacular fashion in dramatic scenes last year, could her next TV role see her taking to the dancefloor?
The Sun reported that she was in “advance talks” to appear on Strictly, with a source saying that she’s “excited” at the prospect, given her performance background.
However, reports have since linked her to a spot on the I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! line-up instead.
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Tim Lovejoy
David M. Benett via Getty Images
Tim appears to have caught the Strictly bug from his Sunday Brunch co-host Simon Rimmer.
According to The Sun, he’s keen on giving the show a go after watching his mate on the show in 2017.
Zoe Sugg
David M. Benett via Getty Images
Undoubtedly one of the most famous YouTubers in Britain – with make-up lines and books to her name, not to mention an actual Madame Tussads waxwork – Zoella is another star whose name has repeatedly been linked with a spot on the Strictly line-up.
It looks as though this is the year we could finally see her on the dance-floor, though, following in the footsteps of her brother, Joe Sugg, who made it to the final in 2018, and now hosts his own Strictly podcast.
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Holly Hubert
@hollyh pOv: ur watching everyone do this trend on ur fyp ♬ Original Sound - Unknown
And if the rise of YouTube vloggers as celebrities is something that makes you feel old, then allow us to introduce you to Holly Hubert. Or Holly H as she’s known to her 16.7 million TikTok followers.
The Mirror has claimed bosses are keen to sign up stars from different social media platforms in a bid to keep younger viewers interested, with the 23-year-old TikTok star among those they’re interested in.
Given her moves in the video above, we think we’re in for some real entertainment, if nothing else.
Tilly Ramsay
In keeping with the previously-mentioned social media stars, Tilly Ramsay is another name that has been mentioned as a potential Strictly signing.
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A source told The Sun that Tilly was “in talks” with the BBC for this year’s series, having made a name for herself on YouTube and with her own CBBC cooking shows.
Of course, to many, she’s best known as the 18-year-old daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, and we wouldn’t fancy being the judge who had to critique Tilly’s dancing in front of her dad...
Jane Goldman
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
But Tilly isn’t the only one of this year’s rumoured Strictly stars with a famous connection.
Screenwriter Jane Goldman is known for penning films like Kick-Ass, various instalments in the X-Men series and Disney’s upcoming remake of The Little Mermaid.
In May, Jane – who is married to broadcaster Jonathan Ross – was tipped to be be in “advanced talks” to sign up for Strictly by the Daily Mail, but she has now denied that this is the case.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Normal People Fans Can Now Get Their Hands On Connell's Actual Chain

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If you’re a fan of BBC Three’s Normal People, you’ll most likely know that Connell’s chain has taken on a life of its own since the show’s debut.
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In the last few weeks, the chain has trended on Twitter and been the subject of think-pieces about why a piece of jewellery is driving us all wild, while a dedicated Instagram account has also amassed more than 160,000 followers.
Actor Paul Mescal has now announced that fans could soon own Connell’s actual chain, as he is raffling it off for charity.
He is raising money for Irish charity Pieta, which provides support to people who are suicidal or engaging in self-harm.
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Paul said: “I am delighted to be able to help out Pieta by raffling off my chain that has taken on a following of its own since Normal People hit television screens.
“Pieta is a cause very close to my heart, having experienced loss due to suicide in my local town while growing up.”
He added that the series “touches upon depression and suicidal ideation, so it seemed like a very special partnership to want to help those in similar situations”.
Please support if you can. https://t.co/zl2yYvdkeB — Paul Mescal (@mescal_paul) May 25, 2020
The raffle opened on Monday and runs until 8 June, with more than 13,000 euros (£11,600) having already been raised by the charity initiative so far.
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This news certainly helps make up for the bombshell Paul dropped on Normal People fans last week.
He said that a second series is “not on the cards”, telling Wonderland magazine: “I do feel like the series that has finished is its own thing, and I’m totally comfortable with that. It’s not on the cards at the moment, but if I got the opportunity to play him again, amazing.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Celebrity Gogglebox Just Got Some Brilliant New Additions

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The couple, who serve as Love Island’s presenter and narrator respectively, will be airing their views on the week’s TV when the celebrity edition of the hit Channel 4 show returns next week.
Laura and Iain – who are at something of a loose end after the summer series of Love Island was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – will be joined by fellow newcomers Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Zoe Ball and her son Woody Cook, as well as Olympian Nicola Adams and her partner Ella.
Among those returning from the previous series include Radio 1′s Nick Grimshaw and his niece Liv, TV personality Denise Van Outen and her partner Eddie, and Loose Women’s Stacey Solomon and her partner Joe Swash.
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Channel 4 has said further names will be announced in due course.
Rylan Clark-Neal and his mum Linda were among the stand-out stars of the last series, which aired last year.
However, the pair are currently isolating separately, and the presenter has vented his frustrations at not being allowed to see her on Twitter.
After Sunday’s televised statement from government aide Dominic Cummings to address accusations he broke lockdown rules by driving 260 miles to Durham, Rylan tweeted: “I’m definitely not one for publicly bashing someone far from it, but I’ve not had my mum in my house for nearly three months and I’m upset.
“Surely social bubbles need to be introduced, if not for damage control but looking at the trends.”
As it was later announced non-essential shops were to re-open from mid-June, Rylan added: “I can shop in Primark but can’t have my mother in my house.... ok then.”
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I’m Definately not one for publicly bashing someone far from it, but I’ve not had my mum in my house for nearly 3 months and I’m upset. Surely social bubbles need to be introduced, if not for damage control but looking at the trends. pic.twitter.com/TmpUauVK0l — Rylan Clark-Neal (@Rylan) May 25, 2020
I 👏🏼can👏🏼shop👏🏼in 👏🏼primark👏🏼but👏🏼cant👏🏼have👏🏼my👏🏼mother👏🏼in 👏🏼my👏🏼house👏🏼...... ok then — Rylan Clark-Neal (@Rylan) May 25, 2020
The regular version of Gogglebox finished its current run on Friday, where viewers were left aghast at how contributor Lee Riley revealed he eats a piece of toast.
While the show has continued to air during lockdown, it has come in for criticism from some viewers, as Ellie and Izzi Warner filmed together despite not living in the same household.
After TV watchdog Ofcom received 163 complaints, Channel 4 maintained that they were still sticking to social distancing rules, with a representative saying in a statement: “Most of the families live together but where they don’t, they are complying with PHE [Public Health England] social distancing guidelines.
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“Gogglebox will only film with families where it’s safe to do so. The health and safety of our cast and crew is paramount.”
Gogglebox makers previously announced that they had taken measures to allow “the families to take part without any contact from crew” with their homes fitted with remote cameras.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Tory Minister Douglas Ross Quits Over Dominic Cummings Allegations

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Douglas Ross, a junior minister in the Scotland Office, has resigned from the government over Dominic Cummings’ alleged breach of lockdown rules.
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The MP for Moray said on Tuesday that he was quitting after hearing Cummings’ efforts to defend his trip from London to Durham in March.
Ross said he could not “in good faith” tell his constituents who could not care for sick relatives or say goodbye to dying ones while obeying lockdown rules that Cummings acted appropriately.
Several other Tory MPs have also gone public with demands that Boris Johnson’s senior aide resign.
I haven't commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remains aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result I have resigned as a government Minister. pic.twitter.com/6yXLyMzItJ — Douglas Ross MP (@Douglas4Moray) May 26, 2020
Ross said that “while the intentions may have been well-meaning”, Cummings’ interpretation of the rules was “not shared by the vast majority of people”.
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“I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones; families who could not mourn together; people who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the government,” he said.
“I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the government was right.”
The resignation came amid continued concerns over how Johnson’s defence of Cummings will affect the public, police and health workers during the pandemic.
In an extraordinary press conference for an adviser, Cummings argued that his journey to Durham in March was justified as he sought to protect his family’s health.
But many questions remained unanswered, including over his subsequent drive to Barnard Castle which he said was to test his eyesight after it was affected by Covid-19.
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Michael Gove, an ally of Cummings, said the journey, some 25 miles from where the aide was isolating, was “completely appropriate” because he was “preparing to return to work” by checking he was safe to drive the long trip back to London.
Told that the reason “preparing to return to work” did not appear under the regulations, Gove replied: “No, but the key thing is Dominic is a key worker and being in a position to return to work is a sensible thing.”
“It’d have been entirely within his right to return to work that day on the basis of the advice he had been given, that’s my understanding, so that drive was completely appropriate,” he added, to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Johnson’s spokesperson said this morning: “The prime minister would like to thank Douglas Ross for his service to government and regrets his decision to stand down as parliamentary under secretary of state for Scotland.”
At least 15 Conservative MPs have said Cummings should go, while several others have spoken out against his actions.
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Simon Jupp, the MP for East Devon, this morning said he would have considered resigning had he taken the same actions as Cummings.
“We are all making significant sacrifices and coping with situations we couldn’t imagine just a few months ago,” he said.
“Many of us, including myself, have lost people in our lives and haven’t been able to see family and friends. It’s been incredibly tough for everyone.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Kind Of Blue Drummer Jimmy Cobb Dies, Aged 91

Jimmy Cobb, a percussionist and the last surviving musician to play on Miles Davis’ groundbreaking 1959 jazz album Kind Of Blue, has died aged 91.
His wife, Eleana Tee Cobb, announced on Facebook that her husband died of lung cancer at his New York City home.
American jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb has died Richard Ecclestone via Getty Images
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Born in Washington, DC, Jimmy said in 2019 he listened to jazz albums and stayed up late to hear disc jockey Symphony Sid playing jazz in New York City before launching his professional career.
He said saxophonist Cannonball Adderley had recommended him to Mile Davis, and he ended up playing on several of his recordings.
But Jimmy’s role as a drummer on the Kind Of Blue jam session headed by Davis would forever change his career. That album also featured Cannonball and John Coltrane.
The album, released on August 17 1959, captured a moment when jazz was transforming from bebop to something newer, cooler and less structured.
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The Kind of Blue album cover is on display at Bull Moose record store in Portland, Maine, on the 60th anniversary of the album's release ASSOCIATED PRESS
The full takes of the songs were recorded only once, with one exception, Jimmy said. Freddie Freeloader needed to be played twice because Davis did not like a chord change on the first attempt.
Davis, who died in 1991, had some notes jotted down, but there were no pages of sheet music. It was up to the improvisers to fill the pages.
Jimmy recalled: “He’d say: ‘This is a ballad. I want it to sound like it’s floating.’ And I’d say: ‘OK,’ and that’s what it was.”
The percussionist and his bandmates knew the album would be a hit, but did not realise at the time how iconic it would become.
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“We knew it was pretty damned good,” Jimmy joked.
Jimmy Cobb, whose subtle and steady drumming formed the pulse of some of jazz's most beloved recordings (including 'Kind of Blue') died at his home in Manhattan on Sunday. He was 91. https://t.co/FfjqXpagt2. — NPR Music (@nprmusic) May 25, 2020
It has sold more than four million copies and remains the best-selling jazz album of all time. It also served as a protest album for African American men who looked to Davis and the jazz musicians to break stereotypes.
Jimmy would also work with such artists as Dinah Washington, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Wynton Kelly and Stan Getz. He also released a number of solo albums.
He performed well into his late 80s and played in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2017, as part of the New Mexico Jazz Festival.
Jazz fans from throughout the American south-west came to pay their respects in what many felt was a farewell to the man.
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Jimmy released his last album, This I Dig Of You, with Smoke Sessions Records in August 2019.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Coronavirus: Dominic Cummings' Case Leaves Police 'Frustrated' And Four Other Stories You Need To Kn

Coronavirus: Dominic Cummings' Case Leaves Police 'Frustrated' And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

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The row about Dominic Cummings – a senior aide to Boris Johnson – and his decision to travel 260 miles to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown continues to rumble on.
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The advisor’s decision to travel across the country with his sick wife has left police officers “frustrated” and the rules around travel during the pandemic “very confused”, a former police chief constable has warned.
According to the latest figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care, 36,914 people have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus and more than 261,000 have tested positive.
Statista
Here’s the latest:
Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham has left police ‘frustrated’ and travel rules ‘very confused’
Number 10 special advisor Dominic Cummings arrives home in London TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
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Dominic Cummings’ controversial trip to Durham while his wife was ill during lockdown has “frustrated” police officers and left the rules around travel “very confused”, former Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Peter Fahy has warned.
“I think it’s quite hard to see the role the police have in the future,” Fahy told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Tuesday.
“The rules now about the reasons for travel are now very confused. When you see the crowds on Bournemouth and Southend beaches and other places yesterday, it’s hard to see what role the police have in trying to control that.”
He also warned that Cummings’ attempt to test his eyesight after suffering from suspected coronavirus was “ill-advised”.
A driver’s vision is very important.
If you have any concerns about your eyesight don’t drive, until you’ve sought the advice of a qualified Optician.
A driver must be able to read a standard number plate from 20 meters.
Full info here: https://t.co/wisa0uXUrA pic.twitter.com/FSdNwvRZUD — Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) May 25, 2020
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“It appears to be against the Highway Code,” Fahy said. “It’s not the way to test your eyesight and put potentially other people in danger.”
It is likely that if police had stopped Cummings and his family on his way to Durham from London, they would have been turned back, he added.
WHO suspends testing of drug taken by Donald Trump ‘to prevent coronavirus’ over safety fears
President Donald Trump answers questions during the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 27 Win McNamee via Getty Images
Testing of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for Covid-19 has been suspended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) over safety concerns.
Donald Trump – who has said he was taking the drug to ward off coronavirus – is among those who have touted hydroxycholoroquine as a possible treatment.
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But WHO director general General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that testing had been paused while safety data was reviewed.
It came after hydroxycholoroquine was tied to a possible increased risk of death in a study of more than 96,000 Covid-19 patients.
Ghebreyesus said the other arms of the trial - a major international initiative to hold clinical tests of potential treatments for the virus - were continuing.
The WHO has previously recommended against using hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus infections, except as part of clinical trials.
Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO emergencies programme, said the decision to suspend trials of hydroxychloroquine had been taken out of “an abundance of caution”.
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He also warned that countries where coronavirus infections are declining could face an “immediate second peak” if they measures too soon.
“We need also to be cognisant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time,” he said. “We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now, it is going to keep going down.”
Dominic Cummings made a ‘mockery’ of healthcare planing, say experts
Dominic Cummings has made a “mockery” of healthcare planning by travelling to Durham with his family during lockdown, experts have said.
Professor Jackie Cassell, deputy dean of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said the rules were very clear that people should not leave major cities to go to second homes in rural areas, the Press Association reported.
This is because hospitals in less densely populated areas could become overwhelmed if people bring infections from other parts of the country,.
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Meanwhile Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow at the University of Southampton, said Cummings had made a “mockery” of local healthcare planning.
Their comments come after senior government aide Cummings sought to defend his decision to drive to County Durham despite the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, saying he believes he behaved “reasonably” and does not regret his actions.
Prof Cassell said NHS hospitals had ramped-up intensive care bed numbers to manage a surge in their local populations, so visitors could put extra strain on their resources.
She added: “During lockdown, and for many months ahead, we all need to protect the NHS from people becoming ill with Covid-19 in second homes.
“This could easily overwhelm the NHS in less densely populated areas.
“This is the reason for the very clear rule – which still stands – that people should not move out of major population centres to their second homes.”
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Health of thousands of ‘hidden workers’ at risk during coronavirus pandemic, union warns
A worker wearing a protective face mask drives a bin lorry in north London EMPICS Entertainment
Thousands of “hidden workers” are putting their health at risk by keeping essential services going and deserve more government support, according to a leading trade union.
Alongside frontline health and care staff, workers including refuse collectors, social workers and teaching assistants face being overwhelmed with work, warned Unison.
The workers are often unable to keep a safe distance or are not entitled to safety kit, said the union.
Unison’s head of local government Jon Richards said: “It’s understandable that throughout the crisis, public attention has been focused on the UK’s health and care workers.
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“But it’s important the government and the country as a whole don’t overlook the people providing vital services who also face added risks during the pandemic.
“We’re hearing day in and day out of the difficulties and dangers. People want to do all they can to get us through the crisis, but they’re worried and being made increasingly anxious by their working conditions.
“Ministers have to make sure the concerns of all essential workers are addressed. It’s also vital they show a commitment to underfunded local services by increasing budgets so local authorities can increase the pay offer they’ve made to council workers.”
Shoe shops to ‘quarantine’ footwear to stop the spread of coronavirus
Kurt Geiger shoes store in Manchester tupungato via Getty Images
High-end footwear chain Kurt Geiger has said it will ‘quarantine’ shoes for 24 hours after customers have tried them on once stores are allowed to reopen.
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The Times reported that customers will also have to apply antibacterial hand gel and out on socks provided by the shop before being allowed to try on any shoes.
It comes after Boris Johnson confirmed that some shops would be allowed to reopen on June 1 as the coronavirus lockdown continues to ease.
On Tuesday, Cabinet minister Michael Gove said shoppers would have to “exercise restraint” when they are finally allowed back in stores.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-26--Furious Shoppers Boot Out Woman Buying Groceries Without A Face Mask

A group of customers in a US grocery store went ballistic as a woman shopped without a face mask, yelling at her until she walked off with her cart full of groceries.
The heated confrontation was captured on a video posted Saturday to Facebook and quickly went viral on Twitter. “What happens in Staten Island when you don’t wear a mask in ShopRite!” noted the poster, who said it had been filmed by a friend who sent it to her.
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It was a surprising scene given all the media attention recently to maskless demonstrators protesting against health and safety measures to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The people yelling at the shopper were over-the-top angry, and several shouted obscenities and insults.
Comments on social media ranged from attacks on the yelling “savages” to “finally” people are standing up for safety.
The woman who posted the video noted: “I get ppl are anxious NO reason to act the way some of them are ... especially guy following her to scream at her and call her a pig!”
No one reached at the ShopRite stores on Staten Island would comment on the incident to HuffPost.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he won’t allow Staten Island to reopen businesses ahead of the rest of the city, as local lawmakers have requested. They’ve argued that certain required safety parameters have already been met. But Cuomo said the city has to move at a unified pace because of travel among the boroughs.
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Almost 800 residents in Staten Island’s Richmond County have died of Covid-19, making it 25th on the list of counties in the nation with the highest number of deaths.
“All New Yorkers must wear a face covering when they need to be outside their home and may not be able to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and others, according to the New York City Department of Health. “Examples include riding the subway, ferry, or bus; riding in a taxi or car service; walking on a busy street; going to pharmacies and grocery stores; and going to the doctor or a hospital.”