thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Nightingale Hospitals Told To Mobilise To Cope With Second Wave Of Coronavirus

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Nightingale hospitals have been asked to mobilise to deal with a rise in coronavirus patients, the medical director for the NHS in England has announced.
Stephen Powis told a televised briefing on Monday morning there are more coronavirus patients in hospital now than there was when Boris Johnson imposed the first national lockdown in March.
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“If we do not take measures to control the spread of the virus, the death toll will be too great to bear,” he said.
Powis said it was “wishful thinking” to believe the elderly could be “fenced off from risk”.
“It is clear that hospital admissions are rising fastest in those areas of the country where infection rates are highest, particularly the North West,” he said.
“Sadly, as the number of those infected increases, then so will the number of people who die.”
Powis said the specialised Nightingale facilities in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate had been told to be ready to accept patients.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam told the No.10 briefing there had clearly been a “marked pick-up” in coronavirus cases, which would result in more deaths.
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He said more deaths were now “baked in” as the infection rate was “creeping” from those aged 16-29 to older more vulnerable groups.
Jonathan Van-Tam presented a graph showing the infection spreading from younger people to older people. DHSC
Van-Tam said the virus spread in closed spaces, crowded spaces and areas where people were in close contact.
“We do know the virus thrives on the thing we like most which is human contact,” he said.
It comes as Johnson prepares to set out his three-tier strategy in a Commons statement on Monday afternoon, with areas in England labelled as medium, high or very high risk, which will inform the “appropriate interventions” needed in each area.
In Merseyside, which is expected to be subject to the most stringent Tier 3 controls, local leaders were battling for an enhanced package of financial support for businesses hit by the new measures.
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Manchester meanwhile was resisting moves to require it to close pubs and bars, arguing that it should be placed in the less restrictive Tier 2 category.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Ad Telling Ballet Dancer Called Fatima To Retrain In 'Cyber' Is Pissing People Off

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Update: Since this article has been published, Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said the ad was being withdrawn from circulation following a backlash. Read more.
An advert suggesting a ballet dancer retrain and work in cyber security has sparked widespread outrage, with critics saying it shows “a total lack of respect for the arts” during the coronavirus pandemic.
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The ad, which appears to be part of the government-backed ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot’ initiative, shows a ballet dancer tying her shoes, next to the text: “Fatima’s next job could be in cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet).”
The ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot’ initiative is part of CyberFirst, a government-backed programme led by the National Cyber Security Centre. The ad is one in several of the same style posted on the QA website. QA offers cyber skills training, working with the CyberFirst programme. The other ads show people working in industries ranging from hospitality to fashion and textiles.
Author Nick Pettigrew suggested the advert appears to be from a 2019 campaign. However, the ballet dancer advert started to gain criticism online this week, after it was shared by theatre casting director Anne Vosser on Sunday.
It sparked thousands of further comments and retweets when shared by journalist Hannah Jane Parkinson on Monday.
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HuffPost UK has contacted QA, as well as the relevant government departments, to find out more about the adverts.
This ad is a disgrace! The total lack of respect for the arts by this dreadful government has to stop!! Talk about also crushing young performers dreams! Rethink Reskill Reboot??!! How dare they! @OliverDowden @RishiSunak @BorisJohnson #WeAreViable #SaveTheArts pic.twitter.com/nyZy44l0JA — Anne Vosser (@AnneVosser) October 11, 2020
The ad has been circulating on Twitter at a time when the arts are struggling to survive due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It follows controversial comments made by Rishi Sunak made in relation to the arts last week, when he said: “I can’t pretend that everyone can do exactly the same job that they were doing at the beginning of this crisis.
“And that’s why we’ve put a lot of our extra resource into trying to create new opportunities for people”.
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Many people shared their anger about the advert on Twitter, including Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP and shadow cabinet minister for Mental Health.
Fatima, you be you.
Don't let anyone else tell you that you aren't good enough because you don't conform to their preconceived social norms. pic.twitter.com/92E286LNR9 — Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) October 12, 2020
I don’t think an advert has EVER made me this angry or upset. How can they justify telling people who have trained for years in their dream career that they should just “rethink reskill reboot” because they aren’t going to do anything to help them? pic.twitter.com/JxChCD3Q2O — Chlo 🌹 (@alittleginger_) October 12, 2020
The UK government has become the Dad in Billy Elliott pic.twitter.com/XLAxtvd5FX — Jonny Geller (@JonnyGeller) October 12, 2020
it is quite stunning to see the government tell the entire music, art, culture and entertainment industry to get in the bin. so thoughtless and destructive. — Helen (@helen_e_jones) October 12, 2020
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This is horrible. Get the sentiment but devalues the importance of arts, also devalued the transferability of these skills. Whether she stays as a dancer or not, it’s important and eternal work — Nathan Martin (@nathanmart) October 12, 2020
Sickening.
I spent 16 years training tirelessly to become a violinist. Practiced every day for hours from aged 4. Dedicated my life to it. Began my degree in it. But had to stop due to injury. I miss it every day.
Music matters.
Dance Matters.
So DANCE FATIMA.
DANCE. pic.twitter.com/fD50DzJJog — Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) October 12, 2020
"Rethink, Reskill, Reboot" is perfect advice, but for the government, not Fatima. pic.twitter.com/fIY8Sf1FuV — Robert Perry (Pez) (@pez_sez) October 12, 2020
Despite the ads including the HM Government logo, Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, tweeted to say the ballet advert was not produced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
“I agree it was crass,” he wrote. “This was a partner campaign encouraging people from all walks of life to think about a career in cyber security. I want to save jobs in the arts which is why we are investing £1.57bn.”
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QA Another advert on the QA website
The National Cyber Security Centre – which leads the CyberFirst programme – also told HuffPost UK “this is not a NCSC campaign”.
It has been suggested that the CyberFirst campaign is from the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Lincoln Project Cofounders Reveal The Secret To Pissing Off Trump

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The Lincoln Project’s cofounders told “60 Minutes” on Sunday night that they love it when Donald Trump sees their ads and lashes out in response.
“Every time Donald Trump loses his mind and throws things at the wall because a Lincoln Project ad is up, that takes the whole campaign off track,” cofounder Rick Wilson told the CBS News show. “There’s one thing you never get back in a campaign. That’s a lost day.”
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The never-Trump Republicans said they know just how to get the president’s attention, too.
“We have a standing buy on Fox News in Washington, D.C. with ‘Fox and Friends,’ Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity every night,” said cofounder Reed Galen, referring to the purchase of constant ad time. ”[W]e know he’s in the residence with his super TiVo watching.”
Trump is known for watching Fox News in general and those three shows specifically, often calling into them, giving shout-outs to the hosts at his rallies and tweeting about what’s on the air at any given time.
His own campaign has also invested money in ads in the D.C. market, reportedly to get his attention. D.C. isn’t part of a swing district, but The Daily Beast reported over the summer that the purchases were meant to make Trump feel good when he tunes in.
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“60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl asked Wilson if the negative tone of the ads would turn off voters.
“There’s always a reflexive sort of do-gooder instinct to say, ‘Oh, I hate negative ads,’” Wilson said. “People do hate negative ads, but negative ads work.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Piers Morgan Claims Trump Is 'Actually A Germaphobe': 'He Was Obsessive About It'

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Piers Morgan has said he “doesn’t get” US president Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as he is “actually a germaphobe”.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, who is friends with Trump, said that he’d been “obsessive” about hand hygiene in the past, so can’t understand why he has treated Covid-19 like “a bloody casual load of nonsense”.
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In an interview with the Guardian, Piers discussed his somewhat complicated friendship with Trump, where he said: “He’s actually a germaphobe. If you coughed, it was like you’d got the plague and out would come the Purell [hand sanitiser] and he wouldn’t shake hands with people. He was obsessive about it.
“Then, when he gets hit by a real killer virus, he treats it like a bloody casual load of nonsense. I don’t get that.”
Donald Trump and Piers Morgan D Dipasupil via Getty Images
Piers has been a vocal critic of how Trump has responded to the pandemic, and slammed his “ridiculous” actions last week, when he temporarily left hospital after being diagnosed with the virus to stage a drive-by.
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“What’s he doing? The whole thing is utterly ridiculous,” he said on Good Morning Britain last week.
“This is from a president who is in charge of a pandemic which has seen more than 200,000 Americans lose their lives.”
Piers with Trump on Celebrity Apprentice in 2009 Bill Tompkins via Getty Images
In his interview with the Guardian, Piers also said he believes Trump “panders to racists” and would “probably not” be so tolerant of him if they were not already friends.
However, he added: “When I came back [to the UK] from CNN, I could count on one hand the number of people who contacted me – and he did, repeatedly. For all his faults, Trump can be very loyal.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Rochelle And Marvin Humes Welcome Baby Son Blake

Rochelle and Marvin Humes have welcomed a baby son.
Blake Hampton Humes was born on October 9 at 8.44am, weighing 8lb 2oz, it was announced on ITV’s This Morning.
A huge congratulations to @RochelleHumes and @MarvinHumes, and welcome to the world baby Blake Humes! 🍼🎉https://t.co/1dyXhHtoDs — This Morning (@thismorning) October 12, 2020
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield read out a message from Rochelle, saying: “He is an absolute joy and has slotted in so well already. Marvin has got some serious competition.”
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The couple are already parents to daughters Alaia-Mai, seven, and Valentina Raine, three.
Willoughby said: “I bet they are two very proud big sisters this morning. Look at that, what a gorgeous family.”
Photos of the new arrival were shown on the programme, including one of him wrapped in a white blanket with little ears, and another of Rochelle cradling her son.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Margaret Nolan, Goldfinger And Carry On Star, Dies Aged 76

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Goldfinger star Margaret Nolan has died at the age of 76.
The British actor and model was best known for her role as Dink in the 1964 James Bond film and appearing in the Carry On films.
News of Margaret’s death was announced by director Edgar Wright on Twitter, with her son Oscar Deeks confirming to Variety that she died on 5 October.
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Margaret with Sean Connery in Goldfinger Danjaq/Eon/Ua/Kobal/Shutterstock
Writing on Twitter, Edgar said: “It’s my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away.
“She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60′s; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too.”
It's my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away. She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60's; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/YaEaWDmLt2 — edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
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She was the gold painted model in the iconic Goldfinger title sequence and poster (she also played Dink in the movie), she appeared in the classic A Hard Day's Night, Carry On Girls, No Sex Please We're British & many others, frequently sending up her own glamourpuss image. 2/4 pic.twitter.com/RyUs7fS6P7 — edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
She also appeared in five Spike Milligan Q series, Steptoe & Son, The Likely Lads, Morecambe & Wise and The Sweeney. She became deeply involved in political theatre and more recently created visual art; deconstructed her own glamour modelling in a series of photomontages. 3/4 pic.twitter.com/T0Q9qn8LIl — edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
I worked with her last year as she plays a small role in Last Night In Soho. She was so funny, sharp and, as you might imagine, full of the most amazing stories. I’m so glad I got to know her. My heart goes out to her family and all that loved her. She will be much missed. 4/4 pic.twitter.com/6NpGYcHIgJ — edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
He added: “I worked with her last year as she plays a small role in Last Night In Soho. She was so funny, sharp and, as you might imagine, full of the most amazing stories. I’m so glad I got to know her.
“My heart goes out to her family and all that loved her. She will be much missed.”
As well as her Bond role, Margaret featured in the film’s iconic title sequence and poster, where she appeared in gold body paint.
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Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock (1571099a)Goldfinger (James Bond), Margaret Nolan, Sean Connery, Honor BlackmanGoldfinder - 1964 Moviestore/Shutterstock
Margaret also featured in a number of Carry On films during the 1960s and 70s, including Carry On Cowboy, Carry On Matron, Carry On Girls and Carry On Dick.
Margaret with Bernard Bresslaw in Carry On Girls ITV/Shutterstock
She appeared in The Beatles’ 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night, as well as having guest roles in a number of TV series including The Sweeney, Last Of The Summer Wine, Steptoe And Son and Whatever Happed To The Likely Lads.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Here's How Likely It Is You Had Covid Back In December

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Every Monday, we’ll answer your questions on Covid-19 and health in a feature published online. You can submit a question here.
HuffPost UK reader Robert asked: “Could I have had Covid in December?”
Covid-19 was officially confirmed in the UK on January 31 2020, when two people believed to be Chinese nationals tested positive for the virus and were taken to hospital.
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Since then, many have wondered whether the virus could’ve been circulating in the UK prior to that date – some experienced illness very similar to Covid-19 towards the end of 2019 but didn’t know at the time that the virus even existed.
So, what are the chances that the virus was circulating back then?
Dr Julian Tang, honorary associate professor in respiratory sciences and a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, says it’s possible the virus was circulating in the UK in December 2019.
There were no restrictions to travel when the virus first started circulating and countries were unaware it even existed, so there’s no reason why it would’ve been contained in one place.
A study of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, analysed genetic samples from more than 7,500 people infected with it and suggested the pandemic actually started sometime between October 6 and December 11, 2019.
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“Given that earlier Covid-19 cases in other European countries (Italy and France) have been found, it is very likely there were circulating cases in the UK amongst people who may have travelled to and from China in that period [between October and December],” Dr Tang tells HuffPost UK.
The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese authorities had traced its first Covid-19 case back to November 17. However, it wasn’t until January that the new virus was identified.
Investigators from the World Health Organisation (WHO) have since said they’ve discovered signs the outbreak was wider in Wuhan in December 2019 than previously thought. Peter Ben Embarek, lead investigator, told CNN they’d established for the first time there were over a dozen strains of the virus in Wuhan already in December.
Separately, Professor John Watson, part of the WHO team that travelled to China to investigate the origins of the pandemic, said the virus which causes Covid-19 may not have even originated in the country.
He told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show in February 2020: “I think that there are all sorts of reasons to do with the way it did start in the outbreak in Wuhan and the various bits of information about the way in which these viruses live in different animal reservoirs, that suggest that China is a very, very possible source for the outbreak, but by no means necessarily the place where the leap from animals to humans took place.
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“And I think we need to ensure that we are looking beyond the borders of China, as well as within China.”
svetikd via Getty Images What are the chances coronavirus was circulating back in December 2019?
When asked how widespread the virus could have been in the UK in December 2019, Dr Tang says it’s hard to say as the virus would have gone under the radar during a period when flu was also common.
In addition to anecdotal cases of people who suggest they had symptoms of the virus last year, there is also the case of Peter Attwood, 84, from Kent, who first experienced symptoms of the virus on December 28 and died a month later, on January 30.
The coroner ruled as recently as September 2020 that his cause of death was ‘Covid-19 infection and bronchopneumonia’, the Daily Mail reported. His daughter had become sick with a similar illness two weeks before her father developed symptoms – which would take us back to mid-December.
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Sewage also tells us some more about the virus’ spread in Europe. Such systems are being tested around the world for traces of the virus – specifically, Covid-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) – to help monitor its spread in populations.
One study revealed the virus was present in Milan and Turin’s sewer systems as early as December 2019 – two months before the first positive cases in Italy. This was also before Chinese officials confirmed the virus existed.
In 2020, after the virus came to light, a French hospital retested samples from pneumonia patients and discovered that one of its patients had Covid-19 back in December. Professor Yves Cohen, head of the intensive care unit of the Avicenne hospitals in Bobigny, told BFM TV: “We had a positive case of Covid-19 on December 27.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--How To Create The Perfect Fakeaway

How To Create The Perfect Fakeaway

We all love a cheeky takeaway, don’t we? Curry, Chinese, Thai, burgers, kebabs, pizza… On average, we spend a whopping £451 each on takeaways each year, ordering 34 over 12 months – that’s nearly three a month! They’re not the healthiest, or cheapest dinner choices. And in the time it takes for a delivery to arrive, or for you to schlep out and get it, you could make your own, eat it, and be on the sofa in front of Netflix.
South_agency via Getty Images One man, delivery boy on bicycle, delivering pizza.
You deserve better than shelling out for a gristly kebab, so we’re going to suggest you do lots of cheating instead: make your own fakeaways at home, and go meat-free for speed. And with the right meat alternatives and a bit of imagination, meat-free definitely won’t be taste-free. Naked Glory’s mission is to bring you “The Meatiest Thing Since Meat.”
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Here are our ideas for perfect fakeaways with a street food vibe that hit the spot, don’t break the bank, and are – dare we say it – healthy.
First, get stuff in
OK, fakeaways lack the spontaneity of takeaways, unless you do a little forward planning and stock up on your supermarket or online food shop. Start with the meat cheat – look for mouth-watering Naked Glory Sausages, Naked Glory Mince, Naked Glory Quarter Pounders and Naked Glory Roast Tenderstrips. You’ll also need carbs - brioche buns, pizza bases, potatoes and flatbreads - and vegetables for salads (don’t forget red cabbage to make the best slaw), cheese (vegetarian or vegan if you prefer), yogurt and your favourite pickles and sauces.
vgajic via Getty Images Young Man Shopping For Groceries.
Fakeaway burger and oven wedges
We’re not talking about a miserable little hockey puck in a dry bun here. We’re going for full-on street food opulence with the juiciest, meat free patty, oozy cheese and dressings, and a tangle of fresh salad in a seeded brioche bun. Start by mixing up a crunchy slaw with grated carrot, paper-thin red cabbage and as much finely sliced red onion as you dare, with some mayo. Cut skin-on potatoes into chunky wedges and toss with a little oil, then season (we love garlic powder, smoked paprika and peri-peri spice). Place them skin-side down, like little boats, on a baking tray in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Grill your luscious Naked Glory Quarter Pounder patties, (don’t forget to warm the buns) and when they are perfectly juicy, use them to build your burgers with salad, cheese, pickles, slaw and dressings. Sprinkle some crunchy sea salt over the wedges and serve, with napkins - you’re going to need them.
Or you can try our Korean-Inspired Naked Glory Quarter Pounder (recipe below)
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Arx0nt via Getty Images Chunky baked potato wedges with ketchup.
Fakeaway kebab
Unless you’re planning on a drinking session before you make it, this will be a kebab you remember. And because you’re making it at home, you can serve it like they do in Istanbul – on a plate, not all scrunched up in a rubbery flatbread and chip paper. Cheat on chicken by getting the ‘meaty’ centrepiece – Naked Glory Smoky BBQ Tenderstrips – briefly under the grill alongside a halved tomato and perhaps a couple of fresh long green chillis. Then, knock up some authentic kebab accompaniments: sliced white onion marinated in lemon juice, sumac and flat leaf parsley; Greek yogurt blended with crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt; and a simple lettuce-tomato-cucumber salad. Crack open that jar of pickled chillis for a side order of nose-prickling bitter heat. You can serve your fakeaway kebab and the sides on rice or a quality flatbread. Delicious, authentic, and not a night bus in sight. Afiyet olsun!
Naked Glory: The Meatiest Thing Since Meat Naked Glory Smoky BBQ Tenderstrips
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Fakeaway pizza
Someone wants a Meat Feast, someone else wants Spicy Chicken and there’ll always be one who only eats Margaritas. Before you know it, you’ve spent £50 on pizza delivery and all you’ve got to show for it is a pile of greasy boxes. Our fakeaway pizzas are the antidote to empty wallet misery – everyone can have what they want, when they want it, and they taste great.
Of course, you might be one of those home cooks who can rustle up pizza dough and tomato sauce base from scratch. Good for you. For the rest of us mere mortals, buy top-quality supermarket margarita pizzas and pimp them up to individual tastes. Load one with halved Naked Glory No-Meat Balls and Naked Glory Roast Tenderstrips, and recreate Spicy Chicken by loading another with Naked Glory Tikka Tenderstrips. Thinly slice three colours of sweet peppers, mushrooms and onions to scatter on the top, sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese, and slam in a hot oven for around 15 minutes, or until done to your liking. Boost your five-a-day with extra salad and slaw on the side, and - top tip - the Turkish yogurt from the fakeaway kebab above makes a brilliant garlic pizza dip. No waiting for the buzzing of the delivery scooter, no greasy boxes and everyone’s happy.
LauriPatterson via Getty Images Pizza with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella
KOREAN-INSPIRED NAKED GLORY QUARTER POUNDER
Ready in about 20 minutes
Ingredients for slaw -
4 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tbsp chilli sauce
2cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ lime, zested and juiced
½ head pointed cabbage, finely sliced
3 small carrots, peeled into thin strips
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red onion, cut into 4 rings then the rest finely sliced
2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
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Ingredients for Corn pops -
1 cooked corn on the cobs, cut into 6 discs
3 tbsp kecap manis
1 tbsp chilli sauce
½ lime, zested and juiced
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Ingredients for Quarter Pounder -
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 x Naked Glory Quarter Pounders
2 x slices Edam cheese (or vegan cheese)
2 x brioche buns, split (or vegan burger buns)
½ head little gem lettuce, leaves separated
1 large tomato, thickly sliced
Method –
Tip the mayo, chilli sauce, ginger, lime zest and juice into a bowl and mix well until smooth. Add the vegetables and sliced onions and toss to coat in the dressing. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish. Place the sweetcorn into a heatproof bowl, cover with heatproof cling film and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until hot through. Mix the kecap manis, chilli sauce, lime zest and juice together in a bowl then divide between 2 serving bowls. Tip the sesame seeds into 2 serving bowls then stick the corn on the cob discs onto wooden skewers and lay on serving plates, with the sauce and seeds alongside. Heat a griddle until hot. Rub the Naked Glory Quarter Pounders with the oil, then place on the griddle and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning half way through until browned and hot through. Top with the cheese and cook for a further couple of minutes until the cheese has just melted. Season with black pepper. Place the split brioche bases onto serving plates, then layer the lettuce and tomato on top. Layer the Naked Glory Quarter Pounders onto the tomato, top with the red onion rings, some of the yakatori sauce and the brioche lid. Serve straightaway with slaw and yakatori corn pops.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--5 Easy Ways To Liven Up Mid-Week Dinners

You know the feeling. You’ve just aced a long day’s work and you’re now in the kitchen silently screaming, “What can I cook tonight?” We get you. Midweek meals can be a chore. Trad meat dishes take time and planning, so we’re suggesting for midweek you go meat-free. And meat-free doesn’t have to be taste-free - far from it. Naked Glory’s mission is to bring you “The Meatiest Thing Since Meat.” Embrace our five clever hacks and inspiration from around the world, and you’ll definitely be excited and up for cooking midweek meals.
1. Make the freezer work as hard as you
Naked Glory: The Meatiest Thing Since Meat Stir fry with Naked Glory Roast Tenderstrips
Sometimes, just thinking about peeling and chopping onions, peppers, and garlic is enough to make you phone for a takeaway. Stop! An easier, cheaper and less wasteful way to get your five-a-day into midweek meals, is to check out your supermarket’s frozen veg section. It’s amazing what you’ll find pre-chopped and frozen: from onions to okra, sweetcorn to sweet potato, peppers to peas, edamame beans, oriental stir-fry mixes, garlic and ginger. Just throw handfuls of whatever frozen veg your recipe says straight into a hot pan – no mess, no waste, just as nutritious.
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2. Embrace the assembly job
Westend61 via Getty Images Katsu Curry
Who’s got the patience mid-week to experiment with complicated recipes and loads of pots and pans? Not us. Instead, take inspiration from world cuisines that assemble simple elements into deliciously harmonious dishes. We particularly love casado from Costa Rica: it’s rice, tinned black beans, avocado, a chopped salad of whatever’s in the fridge, and something meat free and delicious on top – a juicy Naked Glory Quarter Pounder or succulent Naked Glory Tenderstrips. If you want to fry up some plantain to make it even more authentic, go for it.
Katsu curry is another rapid, and utterly delicious midweek crowd-pleaser. Roll fragrant Naked Glory Tikka Tenderstrips in panko breadcrumbs and warm through in the oven, then serve them on rice with a shaved carrot and cucumber salad, pickled sushi ginger, a shake of sesame seeds and a ready-made katsu sauce on top.
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3. Pair drinks with your dinner creations
hobo_018 via Getty Images Sharing wine at dinner
It’s OK to have a glass of wine on a Tuesday. It’s easy to overlook drinks with midweek meals, but a glass of something lovely can elevate dinner from meh to more. Take a classic loaded Naked Glory Quarter Pounder with chips and slaw – it pairs perfectly with a red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah. White wine is the go-to for chicken dishes, even when they’re meat-free. A Muscadet will be perfect with the katsu curry, and Chardonnay complements the Costa Rican casado. You don’t have to serve alcohol – the exotic juices in mango, guava watermelon and lychee drinks pair wonderfully with South Asian flavours. And when it comes to Chinese-style stir fries, you can’t beat a pot of steaming jasmine tea.
4. Do It Yourself
Naked Glory: The Meatiest Thing Since Meat Naked Glory No-Meat Balls and Spaghetti
As if producing midweek meals people actually want to eat wasn’t enough, most of us have the added considerations of other household members with food preferences, intolerances, or simply coming in at different times. But you’ve got this. It just needs a little forward planning. Stock the fridge with basics - pizza bases; cooled, baked potatoes (these last up to 5 days); and cooked pasta. Include Naked Glory Sausages, Naked Glory Quarter Pounders, Naked Glory No-Meat Balls and Naked Glory Tenderstrips that take little time in the oven or on the hob and supplies of salad, vegetables and favourite sauces. Everyone and anyone can create and heat up a pizza, pasta with meatballs or a filled baked potato with healthy salads when they get in, and – bonus – there’s not much washing up.
5. Make enough for two days
Naked Glory: The Meatiest Thing Since Meat Naked Glory Mince Chilli non carne
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Isn’t it the best feeling when you open the fridge door and there are enough leftovers for another dinner? If you double the quantity when you cook, you’ve got 40% of your midweek dinners covered! Chili non carne is brilliantly versatile for batch cooking – see our mouth-watering, meat-free recipe below. Serve it one evening with the classic rice, guac, salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips combo, then the rest later in the week (it’ll taste even more delicious as the flavours develop) as chunky burritos with grated cheese, fried onions and peppers, in soft tortilla wraps with salsa.
Naked Glory Chilli non Carne
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed/chopped
1 mild red chilli, thinly sliced (de-seed if you require a milder finish)
260g Naked Glory Mince
1tbsp tomato puree
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli powder
Pinch of cinnamon powder
½ tbsp soft brown sugar
½ tsp cocoa powder (optional)
250g passata
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
To Serve
wedge of lime
plain boiled long grain rice
sour cream
chopped coriander
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion, garlic and red chilli until softened. Increase the heat and add the Naked Glory Mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks with a wooden spoon. Turn down the heat to low, stir in the tomato puree and cook out for a minute, then add all ground spices (cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika and chilli powder), cook out for a further minute (add a splash of water if the spices start to catch the pan). Stir in the kidney beans and diced red pepper. Add the brown sugar and cocoa powder, stir in the passata, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened. Stir through the fresh coriander and cook out for a minute uncovered before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--How To Plan The Ultimate Date Night At Home

Let’s face it, staying in has been the new going out for quite some time now. And, with the nights drawing in, staying in the comfort of your own home is more and more appealing. No need to book in advance, no waiting in the rain for a taxi or night bus, and if passion (or tiredness) gets the better of you, it’s only a few steps to the bedroom.
The ultimate date night is more than just Netflix and chill, though. It’s all about the ambience, sharing great food, a bit to drink, and making each other happy.
Set the scene
With the long evenings of summer behind us, we could do worse than take a leaf out of the Scandinavians’ book and embrace hygge (pronounced ‘hoo-gah’). It’s how the Nordic countries embrace their infamously dismal winters. Hygge is cosy contentment: snuggling up in front of a crackling log fire; reading by candlelight; indulgent food; sipping liqueurs under a blanket. Light the fire if you have one, turn the lights low and illuminate the room with candles or twinkly LED lights and scatter plenty of blankets around.
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svetikd via Getty Images Couple enjoying a cosy night in.
Choose your theme
An Italian theme is belissimo for a date night. Get into the vibe by cooking together to an energetic Italian Techno playlist, then dial the atmosphere down for dinner with the late Ennio Morricone’s film music – we love the soundtracks from Cinema Paradiso and The Mission. If you want to add extra cheese, The Perfect Italian Dinner on Spotify has all the classic singalongs like Volare and That’s Amore.
fotografixx via Getty Images Couple preparing a meal in the kitchen.
Food and drink
Cocktails are a treat, and we’ve missed our quota of Mojitos and Porn Star Martinis. Indulge yourselves with a pre-dinner cocktail-making session, and unless you have all the kit, spirits, mixers and know what you’re doing, keep it simple. We like a Gimlet, which is little more than lime, syrup and gin, but oh-so-refreshing; and the metaphor for our times, a Dark ’N Stormy – dark rum and ginger beer with a twist of lime.
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Now for the food. Keep the menu fairly light – meat-free is ideal. And with the right meat alternatives and a little imagination, meat-free doesn’t have to be taste-free. Naked Glory’s mission is to bring you “The Meatiest Thing Since Meat.” Put succulent Naked Glory No-Meat Balls on your online shopping list or nip into the chilled plant-based aisle at Sainsbury’s.
Sharing the dinner prep is romantic in itself. To start, lay out an antipasti board of olives, Italian cheeses, marinated artichokes, sunblush tomatoes, melon and ciabatta. For the main course, it has to be pasta. Our epic Naked Glory Baked No-Meat Balls (recipe below) is light enough for a date night, while packing in the flavours of southern Italy. There’s really only one wine to drink with this – a nice Chianti. Room for dessert? Forget creamy tiramisu and instead go for elegant fresh or marinated figs with a scoop of finest Italian ice cream. Just gorgeous.
Naked Glory: The Meatiest Thing Since Meat Naked Glory No-Meat Balls
Fun and games
There’s nothing sexier than having a laugh together, so get out a risqué after-dinner board game or truth or dare cards over coffee. If you’re really too full to move and need to chill, retire to the sofa under those blankets. Take turns to search up and share your favourite comedy sketches and music on YouTube, visiting vintage favourites and leaving your comfort zone with new ones. Your sofa is as good as front row seats at a comedian’s uncensored stand up or artist’s festival set - without the crowds, queues or prices.
Martinns via Getty Images The couple is lying on the sofa and watching the YouTube on the laptop.
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Here’s that recipe:
Naked Glory Baked No-Meat Balls
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic clove, crushed/chopped
2 bay leaves
8 Naked Glory No-Meat Balls
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 red pepper, diced
200g passata
2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 handful grated mozzarella or your choice of vegan cheese
To serve
Fresh basil, chopped
Drizzle of olive oil
Your choice of pasta
Method


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Harry And Meghan Both Home To Watch Archie's First Steps Because Of Lockdown

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It’s a sign of the times that even a conversation between three of the most famous and influential people in the world starts with some variation of, “Can you hear me ok?”
That marked the beginning of a virtual chat that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had with Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai on Sunday to celebrate International Day of the Girl.
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Yousafzai, who’s been fighting for girls to have access to education since she was 11, asked Meghan why girls’ education was a priority for her.
Screenshot / Malala Fund Malala Yousafzai chatting with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for International Day of the Girl.
“So much is at stake when we don’t give a young woman an opportunity to learn,” Meghan said. “When young girls have access to education, everyone wins and everyone succeeds.”
She explained that tools granted to girls in childhood will result in more empowered female leaders.
When asking ”‘How do you get a woman to embrace her voice,’ well, you have to start with where she is as a young girl,” Meghan said. “Typically, when a woman is present at the table, she’s going to be advocating for an entire family instead of a patriarchal presence.”
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Covid-19 could add significantly to the 130 million girls who aren’t in school
Meghan’s commitment to those issue dates back to before she was the Duchess of Sussex. In 2016, she visited Rwanda and then India, where she saw firsthand some of the challenges to girls’ education, she said: in both countries, girls were at risk of dropping out because they weren’t given bathroom facilities or were forced to miss school when they were menstruating. In 2017, eight months before she and Harry announced their engagement, she wrote an op-ed for Time about period poverty.
Not having equal access to schooling as a child will effect a girl’s future, she explained on Sunday.
“That alone creates a ripple effect for your entire life,” she said. “By fixing that one thing, you end up fixing multiple problems.”
“Right now, there are already 130 million girls out of school, but an additional 20 million more girls are at risk of dropping out of school because of this pandemic,” Yousafzai said.
Many of these girls will be forced to marry, or will become family breadwinners, she explained, and won’t have the opportunity to finish their educations.
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Yousafzai added that she remembers meeting Prince Harry back in 2014. “It’s been a long time since then,” she said.
Perhaps charitably, she didn’t bring up the details of the meeting. It was at a WE Day event, and apparently even the prince made a faux pas, the now-controversial Canadian organization’s co-founder Craig Kielburger told Hello Magazine.
“Prince Harry put his arm around Malala for a photo and very loudly in the corner Malala’s mother in Urdu shouts ‘No, no no,’ which translated to ‘Not unless you marry her can you touch her,’” Kielburger told the magazine. “The prince was so red in his face at that moment and he was clasping his hands in the front. Malala was so embarrassed!”
Malala talked about her Oxford graduation
The three of them also talked about their own experiences living through the Covid-19 pandemic. Yousafzai, who graduated from the University of Oxford in June, said she found it hard having to leave the college environment she loved to stay home and experience such a milestone virtually.
“I graduated at home, I was taking my exams at home,” she said. “It was very difficult not to be at college anymore, not to be with friends, not to have those traditional ceremonies.”
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Hard to express my joy and gratitude right now as I completed my Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford. I don’t know what’s ahead. For now, it will be Netflix, reading and sleep. 😴 pic.twitter.com/AUxN55cUAf — Malala (@Malala) June 19, 2020
But, she felt lucky to have the opportunity to learn at home, she said, knowing that not everyone has that option.
And of course, we got some Archie updates
When Yousafzai asked Harry and Meghan how they were spending their time in quarantine, Harry was quick to pipe up: “On Zoom!”
“On Zoom calls,” Meghan agreed, laughing.
When they’re not on conference calls, though, they’ve been spending time with their one-and-a-half year old son, Archie.
“We were both there for his first steps, his first run, his first fall, his first everything,” Harry said.
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They also acknowledged how difficult the pandemic has been, particularly from a mental-health perspective. But, they added that in some ways they’ve appreciated their time at home, because they’ve been around for more of Archie’s milestones than they would be in a non-pandemic year.
“We’re fortunate to be able to have this time to watch him grow,” Meghan said. “In the absence of Covid, we’d be travelling and working more externally, and we’d miss a lot of those moments.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--The Wanted's Tom Parker Diagnosed With Inoperable Brain Tumour

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Former The Wanted member Tom Parker has revealed he has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
The singer was told he has stage four glioblastoma after he had two seizures over the summer.
The 32 year old opened up about his diagnosis in a joint OK magazine interview with his wife Kelsey, who is currently 36 weeks pregnant with their second child.
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Tom Parker has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour David Fisher/Shutterstock
Tom was told the news after being admitted to hospital following a second seizure during a family holiday in Norwich in August.
“They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, ‘It’s a brain tumour.’ All I could think was, ‘F*****g hell!’ I was in shock,” he said.
“It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said its terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it.”
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Tom with his wife Kelsey, pictured in September 2019 SIPA USA/PA Images
Kelsey, who was unable to be with Tom in hospital due to the coronavirus pandemic, said: “It was horrendous. They rang me and told me over the phone. They said, ‘It’s a tumour and it’s worst-case scenario’.
“They also told us it was inoperable and what the treatment would be. I was in a complete state.
“It was like everything stopped. Obviously being told you have any tumour is bad, but to be told you have the worst one is a lot to take in. All I could think was, ‘What’s going to happen and what is our life now?’”
Tom has declined to know his prognosis, and is currently undergoing back-to-back chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for six weeks, with the weekends off.
Tom shot to fame as a member of The Wanted SIPA USA/PA Images
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He has vowed that he is “going to fight this all the way”, explaining he and Kelsey, who are also parents to 15-month-old daughter Aurelia, are “already exploring alternative treatments and looking at clinical trials both here and abroad”.
He said: “There are so many stories of people who were given a bad prognosis and are still here five, 10, even 15 years later. We’re going to fight this all the way.”
The full interview with Tom and Kelsey appears in this week’s OK magazine.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Black Man Who Police Led On Horse By Leash Sues Texas City For $1m

Handout . / Reuters
A Black man who was led by a rope by two white officers on horseback has sued a south-east Texas city and its police department for one million dollars (£770,000), saying he suffered humiliation and fear during his arrest.
A lawsuit filed last week in Galveston County district court on behalf of Donald Neely, 44, alleged the officers’ conduct was “extreme and outrageous”, both physically injuring Neely and causing him emotional distress, news outlets reported, citing the court documents.
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Photos of the August 2019 encounter showed Neely being led by the officers on a rope linked to handcuffs — reminiscent of pictures showing slaves in chains.
Neely, who was homeless at the time, was sleeping on a footpath when he was arrested for criminal trespass and led around the block to a mounted patrol staging area. In body-camera video, one officer could be heard twice saying that leading Neely by a rope down city streets would look “bad”.
The lawsuit accused the city and the department of negligence, and said the officers should have known Neely would consider it offensive to be led on the rope “as though he was a slave”.
“Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were,” the lawsuit stated.
Soon after the incident – photos of which were circulated on social media – Galveston’s police chief offered an apology for the officers’ actions.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Coronavirus 'Can Survive On Phone Screens For Four Weeks'

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The virus responsible for Covid-19 can survive for up to four weeks on surfaces including banknotes and mobile phone screens, researchers have claimed.
Australia’s national science agency CSIRO found the virus was “extremely robust” at 20C (68F), or room temperature, and survived for less time at hotter temperatures.
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The research involved drying virus in an artificial mucus on different surfaces, at concentrations similar to those reported in samples from infected patients and then re-isolating the virus over a month.
The study was also carried out in the dark, as research has demonstrated direct sunlight can rapidly inactivate the virus.
Dr Debbie Eagles, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, said: “Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on surfaces for long periods of time, reinforcing the need for good practices such as regular handwashing and cleaning surfaces.
“At 20 degrees Celsius, which is about room temperature, we found that the virus was extremely robust, surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass found on mobile phone screens and plastic banknotes.
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“For context, similar experiments for Influenza A have found that it survived on surfaces for 17 days, which highlights just how resilient SARS-CoV-2 is.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--The Top Mince Pies Of 2020 – And Other Festive Food Worth Buying

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Supermarkets at opposite ends of the price spectrum have had their products named best buys for the festive season in an annual Christmas taste test.
Rating the best Christmas staples from 13 of the UK’s top supermarkets, judges for BBC Good Food magazine blind tested more than 150 products across 20 categories from leading UK supermarkets.
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Marks and Spencer took home the most wins in the 2020 Christmas Taste Awards, but discount supermarket Aldi triumphed over other high street brands.
And while 12 supermarkets entered the contest for the best mince pie, it was Spar’s luxury version at £2 which won the top prize in the category for the first time.
The judges said: “These have a lovely golden colour and crumbly, buttery pastry. The filling is sweet and jammy, with nice big chunks of plump, soaked fruit and a good hit of citrus from the candied peel.”
Morrisons The Best deep-filled mince pies (£2) and Aldi’s specially selected mince pies (£1.49) were highly commended in the same category.
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Harahliad via Getty Images
Marks and Spencer ran away with a total of eight wins in the categories of gravy, vegetarian main course, vegan main course, gluten-free mince pies, Christmas cake, stollen, yule log and vegan dessert.
Awarding the supermarket’s turkey gravy (£4) the top prize, the judges said it “could pass as homemade”.
Waitrose was awarded four wins, including for best pigs in blankets with their No.1 free-range pork chipolatas wrapped in bacon (£4.25), praised as attractive and succulent.
Aldi won two awards, including for best Christmas pudding with their Specially Selected Damson, Plum and Pink Gin Pudding, at £8.99 for 800g, described as sweet and fruity with an almost jelly-like plum centre.
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Booths also won in two categories, including best turkey centrepiece for their Ultimate Turkey Feast (£85 for 3.5kg).
Judges said: “With turkey, two types of stuffing and pigs in blankets all in one package, this truly is a feast. A succulent turkey crown is stuffed with moist, well-flavoured pork, sage and onion.”
Tesco, Asda and the Co-op took home one win each and both Morrisons and Sainsbury’s were highly commended in three categories each.
BBC Good Food editor-in-chief Christine Hayes said: “Getting the most for your money will be more important than ever this Christmas so be sure to check our winners before planning your big shop.
“It’s good to see some great-value wins in this year’s taste test, all blind-tested by the expert BBC Good Food team.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Jennifer Aniston Introduces Her New Rescue Puppy, Lord Chesterfield

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👋🏼 Hi! I’d like to introduce to you the newest member of our 🐾 family….this is (a very tired) Lord Chesterfield ❤. He stole my heart immediately. A HUGE thank you to @wagmorpets for the incredible work you do. Grateful you take such great care of these rescues and find them their forever homes🙏🏼


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Meghan Markle Reveals Why She Was 'Not Really OK' In That Candid Interview Last Year

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were as open and candid as they’ve ever been in an appearance on the podcast Teenager Therapy to mark World Mental Health Day on Saturday.
Midway through the podcast, one of the hosts asked the Duchess of Sussex, “How are you?” The question harkened back to an emotional, pivotal moment for Meghan in October 2019, when ITV journalist Tom Bradby asked nearly the same question, and her honest answer garnered a global reaction.
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“Not many people have asked if I’m OK, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes,” the duchess said at the time.
“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,” she said, adding that she was also a newlywed.
Toward the end of the clip, Bradby asked if it would be fair to say that Meghan is “not really OK? As in, it’s really been a struggle?”
“Yes,” Meghan said, appearing teary.
"Not many people have asked if I’m ok ... it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes."
Meghan reveals to ITV's @tombradby the intense media spotlight has left her struggling to cope while becoming a mum #HarryAndMeghan https://t.co/Uy21iE6ozJ pic.twitter.com/kZqhZV66OL — ITV News (@itvnews) October 18, 2019
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The answer prompted sympathy for and outrage over the treatment of the Duchess of Sussex and dominated social media and headlines around the globe.
In her podcast appearance Saturday, the duchess gave some background as to just how she was feeling on the tour and on that particular day.
“Isn’t that funny ― it was about a year ago that someone asked me that. We were on a tour in South Africa, and on the last day of the tour, man I was tired. I was just about to give Archie a bath. I was exhausted.”
Harry chimed in to add that Meghan was also breastfeeding Archie at the time, which the duchess said was “like running a marathon” for those who don’t understand how tiring it is.
“Between every official engagement, I was running back to make sure our son was fed,” the former Suits actor added, saying it “was a lot.”
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“But at the end [of filming for a documentary], the journalist asked me if I was OK. And I didn’t realise that my answer would receive such an interest from around the word,” Meghan said.
“I didn’t think about that answer. I just answered honestly,” Meghan said. “Because I was in a moment of vulnerability, because I was tired, because there was no presentation. It was just ― here’s where I am ― I’m a mom who is with a 4 1/2-month-old baby, and we are tired.”
Meghan added, “But I think it speaks to the fact that the reason it resonated with people is because everyone wants to be asked if they’re OK.”
Now, “a year later, I would say, yes, I am doing well,” the duchess answered.
The Duchess of Susses arrives for an engagement at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa on Oct. 1, 2019. Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters
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After the royals’ tour of South Africa in October 2019, Harry and Meghan took a six-week sabbatical in North America. Following their return to the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping back as working members of the royal family. Once they closed out their last round of royal duties in March, the couple moved to Los Angeles and later settled in Montecito, California, near Santa Barbara, where they continue to do both virtual and in-person engagements during the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--'Slow-Blinking' May Help Humans Bond With Cats, Study Says

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A new study about cat-human communication has provided scientific evidence of what many cat lovers already suspected: “Slow-blinking” may help people bond with their feline companions.
“Our results suggest that slow-blink sequences may function as a form of positive emotional communication between cats and humans,” wrote scientists from the University of Sussex and University of Portsmouth in the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports on Monday.
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Slow-blinking means making eye contact with a cat and then slowly closing and opening your eyes. Cat behaviour experts have long suggested that a cat slow-blinking at a human is a sign of trust and comfort.
Aleksandr Zubkov via Getty Images A relaxed tabby cat sleeps on a blanket.
“That’s not ‘I love you’ so much as ‘I trust you,’” cat behaviorist and “My Cat From Hell” host Jackson Galaxy told HuffPost last year. ”‘I trust that you’re not gonna kill me.’”
Numerous experts have suggested for years that humans slow-blink at cats to communicate positive feelings and help make the cats more comfortable. This new study suggests they were right.
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“It’s something that many cat owners had already suspected, so it’s exciting to have found evidence for it,” study author Karen McComb of the University of Sussex said in a news release about the study.
To investigate the slow-blink phenomenon, researchers conducted two experiments. The first one involved 21 cats from 14 different households. Researchers took video of the cats’ responses when their owners slow-blinked at them in their homes. They also took video of how the cats behaved when their owners were present in the room but not interacting with them.
The second experiment involved a different set of 24 cats, also from multiple households. In this one, researchers videotaped how each cat responded to a slow-blink from one of the researchers ― a stranger to the cat ― versus a neutral expression without direct eye contact. (The reason the neutral expression lacked direct eye contact is because there’s evidence cats interpret sustained direct eye contact as a threat.) After each trial, the researcher extended a hand toward the cat.
The researchers found multiple things suggesting slow-blinking could be an effective way for humans to communicate with cats.
The cats were more likely to slow-blink at their owners if the owners slow-blinked at them first. They were also more likely to slow-blink at a stranger (the researcher) if the stranger slow-blinked first. And when the researcher extended a hand toward the cats, the cats were more likely to approach if the researcher had slow-blinked first.
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It’s not totally clear why slow-blinking may have this effect. Cat behaviourists have previously said that cats typically slow-blink to signal that they are content and relaxed. Similarly, cats close their eyes to indicate that they feel safe with the present company.
Additionally, slow-blinking may simply help disrupt the unbroken stare that cats may see as threatening, lead study author Tasmin Humphrey said in the release.
She added that studying cat-human communication can help improve the experience of cats in environments such as animal shelters and veterinary clinics.
“Understanding positive ways in which cats and humans interact can enhance public understanding of cats, improve feline welfare, and tell us more about the socio-cognitive abilities of this understudied species,” Humphrey said.
McCombs suggested that people try out slow-blinking with their own pets or even with cats they meet casually.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Three-Tier Covid Restrictions: Here's What New Lockdown Measures Mean

A new three-tier system of local lockdown measures for England has been announced by the prime minister in an effort to curb rising Covid-19 rates.
Here’s what you need to know about the different restrictions.
What is happening?
Different parts of the country will be split up into “medium”, “high” or “very high” local coronavirus alert areas under the new system announced by Boris Johnson on Monday.
It comes after the prime minister held a telephone conference with Cabinet colleagues on Sunday to discuss the situation and ongoing negotiations with local leaders in the north of England.
The prime minister told MPs: “The weeks and months ahead will continue to be difficult and will test the mettle of this country.”
But he added: “I have no doubt at all that together we will succeed.”
MPs will debate and vote on the measures on Tuesday and the new tiered system will come into effect on Wednesday.
What do the tiers mean?
The three tiers represent an advancing scale of local restrictions.
Tier one restrictions are the baseline restrictions in place across England, including a 10pm hospitality curfew and a ban on most gatherings of more than six people.
Tier two restrictions are similar to rules currently in place in Middlesbrough and parts of the North East, where indoor mixing of households is not allowed.
Most areas which are already subject to local restrictions will automatically move into this category, as well as Nottinghamshire, East and West Cheshire and a small area of High Peak.
Two households may be allowed to meet in a private garden, as long as the rule of six and social distancing are followed.
Under the third “very high” tier restrictions, Johnson revealed in the Commons that pubs and bars will close if they fall within areas covered by the strictest restrictions. Betting shops, gyms and casinos will also shut.
But PA Media reports restaurants and pubs that serve meals will be spared from closure even under the strictest restrictions in the “very high” level.
People at that level of lockdown will be advised that they should not travel to other areas. It is understood that Johnson is happy for travel restrictions to apply only as guidance rather than law after seeing how people Leicester complied with the measure during the city’s lockdown.
Which areas may be placed into tier three?
It has been widely reported that Merseyside will enter the “very high” level of restrictions from Wednesday, with additional closures of gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos after an agreement with local leaders.
But HuffPost UK understands that local MPs were told by health secretary Matt Hancock that Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire would avoid the harshest restrictions, instead being placed in the “high” tier, which largely reflects current local lockdown measures and includes a ban on households mixing indoors.
However, Johnson said talks with leaders in the north-west, north-east and Yorkshire and the Humber were “ongoing”.
Nottinghamshire, which has been hit by a huge surge in infection rates, will be placed in the “high” level. Nottingham itself now has an average 715.8 infections per 100,000 people, by far the highest level anywhere in England, according to latest NHS data.
Every area in England will be allocated a Covid alert level, with the full list set to be published later on Monday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Eric Trump Says Nonexistent Covid-19 Vaccine His Dad 'Took' Worked Really 'Well'

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Eric Trump on Sunday touted a nonexistent “vaccine” that he claimed dramatically helped his father, Donald Trump, recover from Covid-19 after the president “worked” hard to get it developed.
The president didn’t get a vaccine, nor has he developed one, nor is it clear he’s recovered.
In fact, doctors administered a steroid, an antiviral drug and an antibody cocktail to the president after he tested positive for COVID-19. There is no authorised Covid-19 vaccine in the US.
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None of the facts apparently mattered to Eric Trump. “My father literally started day one creating this vaccine. He worked to push this vaccine, and now my father just took it, and you see how well he got over it,” Eric Trump gushed on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“Wait, wait,” host Jon Karl interrupted. “Can you clarify that you said your father just took a vaccine?”
Eric Trump responded, “Meaning when he was in Walter Reed [medical center] — the medicines that he was taking.”
Karl tried to clarify. “The therapeutics?”
Trump didn’t respond — nor did he amend his statement but continued to tout his father’s improving health.
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Eric Trump, who is clearly not an expert in these matters, repeatedly claims his father's recovery from coronavirus is a result of "vaccines" his father created, which is false -- he took therapeutic drugs but not vaccines, and certainly has played no direct role in creating them pic.twitter.com/mN1WrrkTg1 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 11, 2020
The president received the corticosteroid dexamethasone, the antiviral drug remdesivir and an experimental antibody therapy created by Regeneron.
Unlike his son, Trump hasn’t claimed he was given a vaccine. But the president has declared that he is “cured” and insisted in a tweet Sunday without any medical evidence that he is now “immune” to Covid-19. The immune tweet was flagged by Twitter for violating its rules against “misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19.”
Twitter says Trump tweet claiming he's "immune" from virus violates their rules on misleading info on COVID-19.
"As is standard with this public interest notice, engagements with the Tweet will be significantly limited," a Twitter spox told HuffPost. pic.twitter.com/S6JY9FvBr3 — Hayley Miller (@hayleymiller01) October 11, 2020
Leonard Schleifer, the CEO of Regeneron, on Sunday dismissed Trump’s comments and the president’s earlier praise of treatments as “miracles coming down from God.”
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Trump’s treatment with the company’s experimental antibody cocktail is “a case of one,” said Schleifer, who’s a member of the Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, New York, where he and the president have reportedly discussed the company’s drugs.
Schleifer said ongoing clinical trials still need to prove how effective the treatment is. The antibody cocktail has so far only been given to 10 people outside of clinical trials.
“The president’s case is a case of one, and that’s what we call a case report. It is evidence of what’s happening, but it’s kind of the weakest evidence that you can get,” Schleifer told “Face the Nation” on CBS.
“The real evidence ... about how good a drug is and what it will do on average has to come from these large clinical trials, these randomized clinical trials, which are the gold standard,” he added.
Trump’s physician, Sean Conley, said in an unsigned statement Saturday that the president no longer poses a risk of transmitting Covid-19 to others. But Conley did not reveal if Trump has tested negative for Covid-19.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people with serious cases may need to isolate for 20 days. Saturday will mark only the 10th day since the onset of Trump’s Covid-19 symptoms, Conley noted in his memo.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Exclusive: Child Refugee Resettlement Plummeted After Boris Johnson Became PM

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The number of vulnerable refugee children being resettled in the UK via a flagship government scheme has plummeted since Boris Johnson became prime minister, official figures show.
In the last quarter before Johnson became PM, ending June 2019, 215 people were taken in on the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.
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But for the three quarters after he took over, just 87, 35 and 79 people were taken in, in total fewer than the final quarter while Theresa May was premier.
The UK routinely took in more than 100, and often more than 150, people per quarter since mid-2017, until Johnson became PM.
The figures, which are the latest available and predate coronavirus hitting the UK, also show that the government has taken in 1,862 people, more than half of whom were children, under the scheme since its launch in April 2016, missing its target to resettle 3,000 by this year.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) UK said the figures were “deeply alarming” at a time when the government is refusing to legally guarantee family reunion rights for child refugees in Europe following the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.
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Home secretary Priti Patel was defeated on the issue in the Lords by Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs last week, but ministers are set to overturn his amendment when the immigration bill returns to the Commons.
While opposing the Dubs amendment, Home Office minister Baroness Williams said she was “very proud” of the government’s work “to protect vulnerable people, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, through our asylum system and resettlement schemes”.
But she failed to mention that the VCRS has missed its target and that the numbers of children helped has fallen sharply under Johnson’s premiership.
The statistics also come as Patel prepares to dramatically toughen up rules to stop cross-Channel journeys by asylum seekers, with “clandestine channel threat commander” Dan O’Mahoney suggesting the UK wants to use nets to disable dinghies carrying migrants.
Vickie Hawkins, Executive Director of MSF UK said: “The government claims to be ‘proud’ of its ‘world-leading resettlement schemes’ for refugees.
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“But their record on this issue makes these words ring hollow.
“The steep decline in the number of people finding safety in the UK through the government’s flagship resettlement scheme for children in the Middle East and North Africa is deeply alarming.
“It is particularly concerning that the decline appears to have happened on Boris Johnson’s watch.
“To make matters worse, the Home Office is seeking to cut off routes to sanctuary for vulnerable children within Europe.
“While the recent defeat of the government on this issue in the House of Lords was welcome, there remains a very high risk that this progress will be reversed unless it receives wider backing from MPs when it returns to the Commons.”
A boy wearing a face mask is seen at a checkpoint during a lockdown in Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, on October 1 Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Hawkins said a failure to guarantee family reunion rights for children in Europe would leave them “trapped in squalid, dangerous camps on the Greek islands and elsewhere”.
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She went on: “Many of these children have serious medical conditions, including war injuries, or are suffering from depression or anxiety, self-harming, or even attempting suicide.
“MSF’s medical teams are providing what treatment they can, but these children need to be brought to a place of safety urgently.
“Instead, these routes to safety are being cut off while the threat of Covid-19 makes things even worse.”
A government spokesperson said: “The UK has always provided sanctuary those fleeing persecution, oppression or tyranny and the home secretary has been clear that the UK will introduce a new asylum system that will focus on welcoming people through safe and legal routes.
“We have a proud record of supporting vulnerable asylum seeking and refugee children, and in the year ending June 2020 we granted protection to over 6,320 children, and more than 44,900 children since 2010.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--I Help Oversee All-Mail Elections In A County Of Millions. Trump Is Wrong — It's Safe.

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In the upper left corner of the United States resides an inconvenient truth for President Donald Trump and his followers: A highly successful mail-in voting system.
Amid a pandemic that has made in-person interactions dangerous, Trump and his allies have attempted to sow fear and uncertainty around mail-in voting even as he attends in-person rallies and events that we now know may have exposed hundreds to Covid-19. But his dangerous tall tales of fraud and tossed ballots are readily dispelled against the backdrop of Washington state’s entirely by-mail voting system.
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Voting by mail is the safest, most secure way to get this election done and to restore trust in a bedrock of our democracy.
I know this because I chair the council for King County, Washington, which has run vote-by-mail elections for over a decade. We are the largest jurisdiction in the United States to conduct all elections by mail. Our nonpartisan regional government represents 2.2million people who live in Seattle, Bellevue and dozens of other cities and surrounding communities. And we have been voting exclusively by mail here since 2009, and statewide in Washington since 2011.
This means that our elections — for president, Congress, governor, county and city councils, school boards, special districts — are all conducted fully by mail. And I can tell you without any doubt whatsoever that Trump, and those repeating his propaganda, are wrong about voting by mail.
Voting by mail is simple. It works. It’s convenient and secure. It has bipartisan support. In fact, Washington state Republicans overwhelmingly support the system, including our Republican Secretary of State, who herself was elected by mail-in ballots, in our increasingly blue-trending state. Even after being inundated with months of the president’s outright lies, a new poll released last week by the respected western states research, public affairs and communications firm Strategies 360 found that a majority of conservatives in our state still support it.
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“Our system has been reviewed and found to be very accurate. In the 2018 election, Washington state found just 142 cases of improper voting out of 3.1 million ballots cast, an error rate of 0.00004581.”
A well-designed vote-by-mail system is at least as secure ― and far more inclusive ― than voting in person. In Washington, we take a multitude of steps to ensure that neither ballots, nor ballot drop boxes, are tampered with. Ballots are tracked and verified. Votes are not dumped or double-counted. Only ballots from confirmed registered voters are counted. Our system has been reviewed and found to be very accurate. In the 2018 election, Washington state found just 142 cases of improper voting out of 3.1million ballots cast, an error rate of 0.00004581.
In King County, the effect of our robust vote-by-mail system means voter turnout in record numbers. We saw 82% voter turnout in the 2016 general election, and 76% in 2018. Compare that with the national turnout of 61.4% in 2016 and 53.4% in 2018, according to U.S. Census Bureau records. Indeed, an August study published in Science Advances found that mail-in voting increases voter participation, often significantly. We are so confident that our system is accessible to everyone that our county’s nonpartisan elections director has credibly set an audacious voter turnout goal of 90% in this year’s general election.
Voting by mail also reduces the opportunity for voter suppression through intimidation or other factors and it offers a physically distant way to vote as the Covid-19 pandemic wears on. Voters cast their ballot from the privacy of their home and then mail their ballots (no postage necessary in Washington state) or drop them in a ballot box without interacting with anyone.
President Trump seems to fear this ease of voting. During the first presidential debate last week, he told his followers to go out to the polls and “watch very carefully,” a suggestion that could amount to illegal voter intimidation. Earlier this month, Trump supporters blocked voters from entering a polling place in Virginia. But with mail-in ballots, neither he nor his henchmen can stand in the way.
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So, what can we do? First, make a plan for how and when you’ll vote. Check your registration, be sure your ballot will be mailed to your current address or update it if you need to. If you are traveling away from home, request a ballot be sent to you if your state or county allows it. Talk to your friends and family about voting and how you can be sure your voice is heard. Vote early if you can. Once you cast your vote, track your ballot. You can track your ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This pandemic-year election will chart the course for the future of our country. Voters must be given every opportunity to take part in it. Vote-by-mail is the best way to give all voters every opportunity to take part in it. We must ignore the fear-mongering and attempts to suppress our vote and instead embrace this safe and easy method that allows everyone to have a say in our selecting our government leaders.
Claudia Balducci serves as Chair of the Metropolitan King County Council, the governing body for King County. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Christmas Isn't Cancelled, But Here's What It'll Look Like In 2020

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The Christmas tunes are playing, the turkey’s in the oven – but this year, your house isn’t filled with loads of people. In 2020, December 25 is likely to be a quieter affair.
Unless, of course, you plan on inviting three households over for dinner. New rules across the UK state families can form “Christmas bubbles” – meaning three households can be together for five days between December 23 and 27.
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It will undoubtedly leave those who were forced to forego celebrating other religious festivals with their families exasperated, however. Areas were forced into lockdown with barely any notice the night before Eid-al-Fitr, meaning for Muslims, Eid was a far quieter celebration.
Most recently, for Hindus and Sikhs, Diwali was too. Dhruv Upadhyaya, from Leicester, told HuffPost UK ahead of the celebration: “It is really insulting to make it sound like they are doing this lockdown now to save Christmas and have just swept the issue of Diwali under the carpet.”
wildpixel via Getty Images
The new Christmas rule is already fuelling a divide between those who plan to stay home (their mentality: the virus won’t stop spreading just because it’s Christmas), and those who are willing to take risks because they’re desperate to see their families after a tough year.
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If more people opt for the former, we could see more of a ‘Minimas’. In fact, the majority (59%) of Brits believe household restrictions should stay in place at Christmas, a Sky News poll found.
We spoke to HuffPost UK readers before the new rules came into play to find out how they’re celebrating the festive season differently, as well as noting other trends we may see in 2020.
Virtual churches
Churches up and down the UK face hurdles hosting services this year, but Father Lee Taylor, vicar of Llangollen in north Wales, has a backup plan – a few, actually. He looks after four churches and last year, they had 500 people attend one carol service by candlelight at his church.
Currently, communal worship can be attended by more than six people where groups don’t mingle, but only as many people as the place of worship can safely accommodate. Taylor’s plan ‘A’ is to continue with carol services but with a limited number of people in attendance. “I think ticketing is the best way,” he says. “First come, first serve.”
For plan ‘B’, ideas include: inviting the town to stand on doorsteps at a certain time to sing Silent Night in Welsh and English; or to host a livestream event from his home where he makes his “special trifle” and interjects with carols that people have requested.
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Another option is to host a community Zoom get-together where local children can take on the role of a nativity character and he interviews them.
A focus on community
With people not wanting to (or unable to) travel over the festive break, it’s likely we’ll see more of a focus on community and charity – with people helping out in their neighbourhood and volunteering with local initiatives, like food banks.
“I think we will see a great deal of creativity in smaller communities over Christmas,” says Taylor. Like we saw with the rainbows in people’s windows thanking key workers during lockdown, we might see more community advent calendars cropping up – where neighbours dress their windows with a festive scene. This will also keep the magic of Christmas alive for kids.
A Christmas trend report from Marks and Spencer suggests there’ll be a resurgence in sending cards – particularly charity cards – as people want to give handwritten thanks, as well as send wishes to loved ones. People may send cards to neighbours they’ve bonded with during lockdown, too.
MesquitaFMS via Getty Images
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Rise of the Minimas
M&S’ Christmas report suggests more than a quarter of Brits anticipate smaller celebrations and gatherings this year, which the retailer has coined: Mini-mas. With up to three households allowed to mix, we’ll still see people entertaining in smaller groups in the run up to Christmas, as well as on Christmas Day and the week following.
DeAna D’Monte, based in Folkestone, Kent, usually spends Christmas with a full house. She’d have gatherings at her home for Christmas dinner – she’d cook, while friends and family members from across the country came to her home for laughter and fun. The maximum amount she’s catered for is 18 people.
This year, it’ll just be her and her two adult children, aged 27 and 30. The 49-year-old, who runs her own gift business, says: “I expect the three of us will do Christmas Day and end up getting back working now, which is a shame. On Boxing Day, we would normally have booked a meal out for all of us and gone to the cinema.”
It’s different, for sure, but a smaller Christmas doesn’t always have to be seen as a negative – after all, you’ll no longer be hit by that endless Christmas socialising many of us are used to.
Connection, but not as we know it
Technology is going to play a huge role in keeping people connected this year, particularly grandparents unable to see grandkids due to the risks involved, but also those on the shielded patient list who are unable to see their families.
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People may get creative with their virtual hangouts: a return of the pub quiz, perhaps; watching a film together while on a Zoom; or even video calling other family members while you’re eating dinner or opening presents.
Nana Marfo, 37, is in the shielded patient group, as he lives with a serious respiratory condition. He’ll be spending Christmas alone. The disability advocate and founder of Unique Abilities tells HuffPost UK: “Being from a Ghanaian household, my typical Christmas would entail running around doing Christmas shopping, buying gifts and assisting with food preparation,” he says.
This year, he’ll prepare his own Christmas turkey and celebrate at home with his cat to stay safe. “What I’ll miss is the massive family gathering and having laughs while eating and playing board games,” says Marfo, based in Lewisham, south London. He plans to use Skype, WhatsApp and phone calls to keep in touch with family on the day, “to feel that Christmas is a little normal”.
D’Monte says she’s going to organise a mass Zoom call for her friends who will be spending Christmas alone, so they can touch base on 25 December. “It’s the best we can do this year,” she says.
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Nana Marfo Nana Marfo
A shift in the way we gift
With fewer families seeing each other, we might see an uptake in gifting to compensate for the fact we’re unable to see loved ones.
While there’s nothing quite like doing your Christmas shopping on the high street – and many people will want to do that, with a renewed focus on buying locally and supporting smaller businesses – we’ll see a boom in online shopping, too, especially during the national lockdown in England, when all but essential shops have been forced to close.
People can order gifts online and get them sent straight to the recipient. Some websites even offer gift packaging so your present turns up, well, presentable.
Online shopping has never been more popular. From March to May, which coincided with lockdown, there was a huge spike in internet sales. This has been declining slowly since, but is rising again in the run-up to Christmas.
This year I want to buy all my Christmas presents for people from local and/or small businesses. If anyone knows any, send then my way❤❤ — tatum (@taytat89) October 7, 2020
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A bigger focus on food
Food is set to become an even bigger focus for many, with plenty of new launches across the UK’s biggest retailers. Some have already started their Christmas food order services.
We’re also seeing lots of new vegan and vegetarian launches, including a vegan fondue at Waitrose – with Christmas already uprooted, it might be the perfect time to try something new.
Around one in five (19%) of us are already looking forward to our first mince pie, according to M&S. And some of us have had one already.
Harahliad via Getty Images
The joy of small things
We can still keep the magic of Christmas alive during Covid. We’re already seeing trees and lights up even earlier, as people focus on the joy of small things. There are lots of things we can’t do – but there are also many things we can do. Think: movie nights, festive baking sessions, winter lights walks, Christmas craft afternoons, and bigger and better decorations in our homes.
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Lucille Whiting, 38, from Suffolk, will be staying at home this Christmas with her immediate family – her husband, 42, and their five kids aged 14, 12, nine, six, and four. They usually alternate between their parents’ homes, but this year the risk is too great.
Her family came down with Covid-19 in April, so they recognise the devastating impact it could have on elderly relatives. “Both sets of grandparents are older and have health conditions and we couldn’t take the risk of them catching anything from us,” she says. “From our point of view, there’s no way any of them would survive what we went through. It’s sad, but it’s not an option.”
“I’ve already bought moulds and cutters in to make gingerbread houses, star cookies, snowman cake pops and mince pies,” she says. “We’ll be going out in the evenings for long walks spotting all the Christmas lights and we’ve got quite a few movie nights planned.”
She also plans to stop working a bit earlier in the month than she usually would, to spend some quality time with her family. She says the children are going to make their own Christmas cards, and they’ve volunteered to deliver cards for some people that can’t get out and about.
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“I absolutely love Christmas, so it’s an adjustment,” she says. “The children are disappointed, but all things considered, they’ve been very understanding and accepting. It’s been one hell of a year.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--This Decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake Is Quick And Easy To Make

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Cooking With Kids is a weekly recipe series on getting creative in the kitchen with the family.
With Great British Bake Off firmly back on our screens, we could all probably use a sweet treat pick-me-up right now – what better time to get baking with the family? Plus, nothing says self-care like a giant slab of chocolate cake, right?
Priya Nicholas, communications manager of National Association of British and Irish Millers, who founded FAB Flour, has shared how to make a two-layered chocolate sponge cake covered and filled with silky smooth chocolate ganache. Using only five pieces of kitchen equipment and nine ingredients, it’s the ideal cake for bakers of all levels.
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“This recipe emphasises the principles of resilience,” says Nicholas. “In the beginning the cake mixture doesn’t look too promising, but you have to have faith and keep going and you’ll produce a light fluffy cake at the end!”
The best thing? The whole mixing process is just one step where you don’t even need a mixer and hardly any washing up, which is the dream! “This cake is so quick and easy to make that by the decorating time rolls around, the whole process will be a delight for kids.”
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 20-25 mins
FAB Flour Chocolate Cake recipe from FABflour.com
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g soft light brown sugar
50g cocoa powder
2 eggs
150ml sunflower oil
150ml milk
For the icing:
300g dark or milk chocolate
150ml double cream.
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Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3.
2. In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate, sugar and cocoa powder.
3. Add in the eggs, oil and milk and whisk everything together until no lumps remain.
4. Divide the batter into the two cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until springy in the centre. Allow to cool completely before icing.
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5. Whilst the sponges are cooling, melt the chosen chocolate for the icing in the microwave (in 30 second increments and stirring to prevent burning). Once it is melted completely, pour in the cold double cream and combine until glossy and smooth.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--I Take A Day Off Work Every Month For My Period. Does That Make Me A Bad Feminist?

My manager asked me to come into the shop on a day I wasn’t supposed to be working. It was 5.30pm and the closed sign had been flicked around, the card spinners packed away and taken inside.
I walked through the shop and into the back, where the piles of damaged books and proofs lived, and sat down on a stool. She was serious and her expression only confirmed what I already knew: I was in trouble.
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I had called in sick two days before, when I was supposed to be working a shift in the shop by myself. I had done the same the month before that. The reason for my absence, rather than the sick day itself, was the problem though: period pains.
She went on to explain, in no uncertain terms, that taking time off work for something so trivial as the arrival of dear Aunt Flo was not the feminist thing to do.
monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
I have suspected (though not officially diagnosed) endometriosis. Every month I spend at least the first day of my period in agony, unable to do anything besides breathe deeply and desperately – in for four, out for four – clutching a hot water bottle and swallowing ibuprofen every four hours.
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Sometimes I get lucky and the rest of my period is manageable: I am able to work and socialise reasonably normally, only with a cocktail of painkillers in my system and the drone of discomfort deep within my lower abdomen. That first day of my cycle though, that is always an endurance test. And it is always a write-off.
Sitting in the backroom of the bookshop at the age of 18 while my manager admonished me for “letting women down”, I felt simultaneously deeply ashamed and burning with indignation.
“I have worried endlessly that a prospective employer would prefer to hire a man (or a woman who doesn’t get bad periods) over me.”
I walked home wondering how on earth I was going to enter the workplace as an adult and not endlessly disappoint people. Women. The women who had come before me to forge a place in the working world where one hadn’t been before. I was letting the side down. I was showing our feminine weakness. A weakness that was so deeply feminine that men didn’t – couldn’t – understand: the simple fact that we had to bleed every month. And the fact that it hurts.
It is believed that 10% of women worldwide have endometriosis, which is a condition known to cause chronic pain, bowel and bladder issues, depression and, crucially, difficulty fulfilling work commitments.
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Around 1.5 million women in the UK suffer from the illness, and yet the stigma and lack of awareness around it leads to those same women dragging themselves to work when they are unwell and/or lying about their reasons for taking sick days.
After I left that job, on the cusp of a career I was so desperate for, I went on to work in multiple offices. In every single one, there was a culture of staying sitting at our desks as late as possible, even if we’d finished doing actual work at 5 o’clock.
I personally found that the men I worked with were far more likely to take a sick day than the women. I quickly realised that if I needed to take a day off because of period pains I would have to blame it on food poisoning. Or a migraine. (Experience showed that I couldn’t blame it on a cold and then be back in the next day without so much as a runny nose). Throughout most of my early twenties I was terrified that I was constantly on the verge of giving away our womanly secret.
“The fact that I take a day off doesn’t take away from the good work I produce.”
There is still so much work to do when it comes to equality in the workplace, but strides have indeed been made by the generations before us.
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When we were just simply trying to get a seat at the table, admitting that we might have to rush off to the loo to change our tampon in the middle of a meeting wasn’t on the agenda.
When the question wasn’t how we work, but whether we work at all, periods didn’t get a look in.
That makes sense, but what has been left is a system that undervalues women who suffer with their menstrual cycle.
I have worried endlessly that a prospective employer would prefer to hire a man (or a woman who doesn’t get bad periods) over me. That I am deceiving them by not announcing at my interview: “I get really bad cramps by the way.”
But in doing so I am overlooking everything I have to offer – the fact that my taking a day off doesn’t take away from the good work I produce.
Now, I am 28 and I am self-employed. I am my own boss and I work from home all the time. My decision to enter the turbulent world of the freelancer was not completely based on my periods – I also have mental health issues that make working for myself appealing – but it was certainly a large factor.
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My job was reasonably easy to shift into freelancing.
But many women do not have that option. Somehow, we must create a work place that values every one of them, regardless of how heavy or painful their periods are.
Claire Maxwell is a freelance writer.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--How Not To Talk To Kids About Their Bodies – Or Yours

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“I can’t eat that, I’m on a diet.” It’s a sentence we’ve all either spoken or heard from women – and it is mostly women – of all shapes, sizes and ages. The problem is that much of the time, even without us realising, our kids hear it too.
And words can stick – at least, where youngsters are concerned. “Children are like little sponges, soaking up everything around them as they try to make sense of the world and how they fit in it,” says social worker and author Jessica Sanders.
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The language we use around children is incredibly important, she adds. “When children hear adults say things like, ‘I’m being good, I’m on a diet’ or ‘I’m so naughty for eating this cake’, the message children receive is: good people are thin and on diets, and naughty people eat cake.
“Diet talk is so common that most of us would never consider the harm that it can cause.”
Statistics show children as young as four have attended clinics in the UK for eating disorders – and a 2016 Journal of Paediatrics study of children aged nine to 14 found more than half were dissatisfied with their body shape.
When asked to select a picture representing the shape they wanted to be, half of the girls wanted to be thinner, while the boys were split: 21% wanted to be bigger and 36% to be thinner.
Parents of girls might be right to be more concerned – according to Girl Scouts, 80% of 10-year-old girls are afraid of being fat. And research shows only 46% of girls globally have high self-esteem, while in the UK, the figure is even lower (39%).
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Of course, body image can’t be blamed as the sole cause of illnesses such as anorexia or bulimia. Eating disorders charity Beat told HuffPost UK whilst poor body image can be a risk factor in developing an eating disorder, they’re caused by a range of factors. Still, it’s clear we should be mindful about the messages we might unintentionally pass down.
‘Fat talk’ is just as harmful as ‘diet talk’, continues Sanders, who founded social enterprise Re-shape to nurture positive body image in young people. “Fat talk is found in phrases like, ‘Oh I hate my arms, they are so big’, or ‘I couldn’t possibly wear a bathing suit to the beach, I’m as big as a whale’.
“The messaging ‘fat talk’ sends to children is: you shouldn’t love your body or enjoy yourself if you are in a bigger body,” she says. “When I was growing up, I was terrified of gaining weight, because I saw how the world treated those in a bigger body. This resulted in me developing disordered eating and a preoccupation with thinness.”
Charlotte Markey, a psychology professor who has a teen daughter, agrees that the type of language we use to talk about our bodies is vital – but admits when it comes to holding our tongues, it can be complicated.
This is because the way some of us were raised – ”with our mums dieting and commenting on being fat, maybe even other relatives commenting on their weight” – is not how we want to raise our kids, she tells HuffPost UK.
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“While we may be thinking, ‘I can’t eat that dessert, my jeans are feeling too tight’, we don’t want to say any such thing in front of our kids,” she says.
“We don’t want [our children] to grow up with the worry and maladaptive approach to food and their bodies that many adults have. It’s normal for our jeans to feel snug one day and then not the next, because our weight fluctuates, and it’s even normal to gain weight with age – from our 20s through our 60s.”
When we discuss our weight in front of our kids, or mention avoiding certain foods, we’re sending a clear message that our weight is very important, says Markey, who wrote The Body Image Book For Girls.
“More important than celebrating someone’s birthday with cake,” she says. “More important than our health, and eating as much as we need to. Maybe more important than anything else! We definitely don’t want weight to be that central in our kids’ minds.”
So, what are some positive ways to talk to our kids about our bodies – and theirs – instead?
Paul Bradbury via Getty Images
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Sanders – who created a list of 10 alternative compliments to give to girls other than “you’re so pretty!” – maintains that diets don’t work for most people. But this doesn’t mean we can’t be healthy and nurture our bodies.
She suggests swapping fad dieting for new foods, experimenting with vegetarian recipes, integrating whole grains into your diet, and moving your body for pleasure, not punishment.
“The best way to talk about bodies is to talk about what they can do, rather than what they look like,” she adds. “We have so many reasons to be grateful for our amazing bodies and voicing those reasons is a proven way to nurture a positive body image.”
For example, you could say, ‘I’m so grateful for my strong arms that can lift you up and give you a cuddle’, or ‘I’m so grateful for my body that grew you inside it!’
Sanders adds: “Leading by example will improve your relationship with your body and role-model to your children healthy ways to relate to their bodies, too.”