thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Coronavirus In China – Here's Everything You Need To Know

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Heightened precautions are being taken in China and elsewhere at the moment, as governments are trying to control the outbreak of coronavirus, that threatens to grow.
Anxieties around the virus intensified after Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan revealed that it can be spread between humans. Authorities had previously said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Advertisement
Chinese authorities have now advised people to stop travel into and out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of a new virus outbreak that has killed nine.
So far, at least 17 people have died, CNN has reported, and hundreds have been infected. So, should we be worried?
What is coronavirus and where has it spread?
The virus, known also as 2019-nCoV, is thought to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified. The new type of coronavirus appears to have originated in the central city of Wuhan, which has reported 198 cases. Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath.
Others who have been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai and southern Guangdong province had also visited Wuhan. Internationally, four cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among Chinese travellers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
Advertisement
There has been concern that the outbreak is similar to Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), a different coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003.
When Sars first infected people in southern China, the Chinese government initially tried to conceal the severity of the epidemic, which ended up killing nearly 800 people. The cover-up was exposed by a high-ranking physician.
Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said Chinese authorities have responded much more quickly this time.
Where did the virus come from?
The first cases identified late last month were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. The first patients were suspected to have contracted the virus from animals, but human-to-human transmission was confirmed late on Monday.
Mr Zhong, a government expert who helped expose the scale of Sars, told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV that two people in Guangdong province caught the virus from family members.
Advertisement
Fifteen medical workers have also tested positive for the virus, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission announced. Previously, the commission said no-one who came into close contact with patients, including health professionals, were infected.
Professor Leung, who was heavily involved in the response to Sars, said modelling shows that cases will multiply over the coming weeks but the outbreak will gradually lose momentum as precautionary measures take effect.
What measures are other countries taking?
Numerous nations have adopted screening measures for travellers arriving from China, especially those from Wuhan.
Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said his country will be increasing airport screening. Australia receives a significant number of travellers from China, including three direct flights a week from Wuhan into Sydney, and these flights will be met by border security and biosecurity staff for assessments.
Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other places with extensive travel links to China are also enacting stricter screening measures. At least three US airports have started screening incoming airline passengers from central China. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said: “We need to step up our caution levels as the number of patients is continuing to rise in China. Please take every possible precaution.”
Advertisement
Health authorities in the UK are not screening arrivals on the flights from Wuhan to Heathrow.
Reuters
Is it safe to travel there?
The World Health Organization said earlier in the week: “Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel or trade.”
However, advice changed on 22 January. National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin said in one of the first public briefings since the beginning of the outbreak: “Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city.”
Authorities also reportedly said that the country was now at the “most critical stage” of prevention and control.
It emerged that Britain would start enhanced monitoring of all passengers who arrived on direct flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan to tackle the threat of the virus.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Would You Want Your Sperm Donated After Your Death? These Scientists Think You Should

How Verizon Media and our partners bring you better ad experiences To give you a better overall experience , we @ @ @ @ @ that are more useful to you .
For example , when you search for a @ @ @ @ @ search information and location to show the most relevant cinemas near you .
We also @ @ @ @ @ you ads for similar films you may like in the future .
Like Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ show you ads that they think match your interests .
Learn more about how Verizon @ @ @ @ @ and how our partners collect and use data .
HuffPost is part of Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ partners need your consent to access your device and use your data ( including location @ @ @ @ @ , and provide and measure personalised ads .
Verizon Media will also provide you with @ @ @ @ @ .
Learn more .
Select 'OK ' to continue and allow Verizon Media and our @ @ @ @ @ , or select 'Manage options ' to view your choices .

filo via Getty Images
Men in the UK should be allowed to voluntarily donate their sperm after death, scientists have argued – in the same way organs are donated after someone has died.
The UK has a shortage of donor sperm, but demand is high and increasing, with the number of single women and women in same-sex relationships seeking fertility treatment on the rise.
Advertisement
Meanwhile male fertility problems – often caused by poor sperm quality or quantity – remain the most common reason for couples to seek fertility treatment. The researchers believe the introduction of donation after death could help fill the healthy sperm gap.
“If it is morally acceptable that individuals can donate their tissues to relieve the suffering of others in ‘life-enhancing transplants’ for diseases, we see no reason this cannot be extended to other forms of suffering like infertility, which may or may not also be considered a disease,” they wrote in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
After death, sperm can be collected either through electrical stimulation of the prostate gland or surgery, and then frozen until required.
Previous research suggests sperm harvested from dead men can result in viable pregnancies and healthy children, even when retrieved 48 hours after death.
Advertisement
Any concerns about the possible transmission of ‘unhealthy’ genes can be addressed by carrying out health checks on the donor and the sperm, the authors said. They added that sperm donation after death would also help to increase the diversity of supply.
Families could, of course, veto a donation – just as they can do for organs. But they may derive comfort from knowing their loved one is ‘living on’, the authors argued, adding that expectations about the status of any resulting child would need to be clearly addressed.
“The important point is that considerations of the family, including a romantic partner surviving the deceased man, do not justify a blanket ban on the use of sperm collected after death, especially if the donor has specified a desire to donate,” they said.
As funding for fertility treatment in the UK remains contentious – with many clinical commissioning groups cutting NHS IVF in their area – it’s unclear who would pay for the harvesting of sperm after death, the researchers note.
However, they concluded: “It is both feasible and morally permissible for men to volunteer their sperm to be donated to strangers after death in order to ensure sufficient quantities of sperm with desired qualities.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Tory MPs Vow To Attend Durham Miners Gala – Despite Claims They'll Need Police Protection

Former coal mining communities parade their banners through the centre of Durham during the Durham Miners Gala in July 2017 Mary Turner / Reuters
A row has erupted after the president of a former miners’ union said he would “rather be found dead in a ditch” than invite newly-elected Tory MPs to its annual festival.
But Conservative politicians have vowed to attend anyway – despite claims they will need police protection to do so – with one MP saying she would “see you there”.
Advertisement
The Durham Miners Gala – one of the largest socialist festivals in Europe celebrating the area’s coal mining heritage – is held every July and often welcomes political attendees.
A bruising election result for Labour saw seven new Conservative MPs elected to represent the north east.
But Durham Miners Association president Alan Mardghum told the BBC they would not be welcome at his event.
“Categorically no chance,” he said. “To paraphrase [Boris] Johnson, I would rather be found dead in a ditch than invite them, or Johnson, to the gala.
Advertisement
“Why would we invite Tories to the Durham Miners Gala? They did their best to absolutely destroy the Durham miners and the miners of Great Britain.”
NEW “I’d rather be found dead in a ditch” than invite Conservative MP’s to the Durham Miners Gala.
Any Tory MP planning to attend the event “might need to speak to the police to ensure they’re safe on the day”.
Durham Miners President Alan Mardghum on new Northern Tory MP’s 1/ pic.twitter.com/L7jgK9Mw0K — David Rhodes (@davidrhodesBBC) January 21, 2020
Mardghum said he could not stop MPs visiting the area as “it’s a free country”.
But he added: “I would suggest if any of them are thinking of coming in [...] then they speak to the police to make sure they are safe on the day.”
Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison hit back on Twitter, writing: “See you there, Alan.”
Lee Anderson, the newly-elected Tory MP for Ashfield, supported his parliamentary colleague, tweeting: “As an ex-miner and a Conservative MP I would be glad to join you my friend.”
And former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: “There are 7 seats in County Durham. Tories took 4 of them in last month’s election. 123,112 people voted @Conservatives vs. 122,547 @LabourParty voters.
Advertisement
“We’re the majority. ‘Othering’ conservative representatives & voters only means we stay that way.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Brexit Party MEP Lambasted After Complaining About Britain Losing Its Influence In The EU

Brexit Party candidate June Mummery during a rally in Peterborough King's Gate Conference Centre as part of their European Parliament election campaign. PA Archive/PA Images
A Brexit Party MEP is being relentlessly mocked online after she moaned about Britain’s anticipated lack of political representation in the European Parliament.
Tweeting on Monday evening, June Mummery wrote: “Attending the penultimate session of the #EuropeanParliament’s #FisheriesCommittee #PECHcommittee with #BritishMEPs. The big question now is, who will be here to hold these people to account while they still control Britain’s waters, but the UK has no representation?”
Advertisement
She had just delivered a speech to the parliament about the EU’s use of destructive fishing methods in UK waters during the transition period between January 31 and the end of the year, and is thought to have been referring to this rather than any time after Brexit.
“While UK fisheries may not have to suffer much longer under the EU rule, a great deal of damage can be done in the time remaining,” she said.
Of course, Mummery voted for Brexit and the primary concern of the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, has always been Britain exiting the European Union. In light of this, the MEP’s tweet was deemed bizarre to say the least.
Response to Mummery’s faux pas was widespread, swift and brutal, prompting “Brexit MEP” to trend on Twitter.
Advertisement
Caroline Voaden, Leader of Liberal Democrat MEPs in European Parliament, delivered a scathing dressing down: “Who will hold these people to account asks @june_mummery? She has also asked if she can come back to attend fisheries com mtgs. Thing is June you wanted to leave. You wanted us to have no voice here, to go it alone. You all crow about your ‘win’. This is what it means. Well done.”
Who will hold these people to account asks @june_mummery?
She has also asked if she can come back to attend fisheries com mtgs. Thing is June you wanted to leave. You wanted us to have no voice here, to go it alone. You all crow about your ‘win’. This is what it means. Well done https://t.co/VkHbnsnoZS — Caroline Voaden MEP 🔶 (@CarolineVoaden) January 20, 2020
One user wrote: “And here we have it. Brexit penny dropping in one tweet. No one, @june_mummery, there will be NO ONE to hold them to account because you all voted to leave. Leave means leave. No rights. No say. No power. #BrexitShambles #BrexitPartyMEP.”
Another replied: “Hard to believe that this is NOT a parody account...”.
Presenter Jeremy Vine tweeted: “I am struggling to understand this tweet by a #BrexitPartyMEP – someone help please”.
Advertisement
This comes as the government has suffered a defeat in the House of Lords on Monday over the right of EU citizens lawfully residing in the UK after Brexit to have physical proof of their status.
A spokesperson for The Brexit Party said Mummery was “obviously” commenting on the deficiencies of the so-called “transition period,” not of Brexit itself.
“During this 11-month period, some in the EU could see an incentive to slash British fishing quotas further to decimate our fleets as well as harm our waters with electric pulse trawling – at a time when we will continue to be subject to EU rules with our already small amount of influence over them removed,” the spokesperson said.
“This is one of the reasons why the Brexit Party opposed a long transition period and supported a clean-break Brexit.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Teenager Gang Raped 42 Years Ago Pleads For Men Who Helped Her To Step Forward

Detectives have released e-fit images of two witnesses who may hold vital information about the reported rape of a teenage girl by a group of men, believed to be sportsmen, in #Plymouth more than 40 years ago. https://t.co/YAzlRDVwJI pic.twitter.com/mpbA5D49fK — DevonCornwall Police (@DC_Police) January 21, 2020
The victim of a gang rape by a group of rugby players more than 40 years ago has made a direct appeal to two witnesses to name her attackers.
The woman, who was 17 at the time of the attack in 1978, was overpowered and raped at a hotel in Plymouth.
Advertisement
After the incident, the woman was taken to another hotel by two other members of the rugby team, one of whom was believed to be a teacher.
In her appeal to those two men, she said: “You appeared at the time to want to stop the attack on me, and you also appeared to be shocked by the action of your teammates.
“I would like you to know that I was very young and very scared and that the impact of your teammates’ rape on that Saturday afternoon has affected me every day for 42 years.
“The shame of not being able to stop the attack caused me to leave home, aged 17. Even now at 59, I suffer from PTSD.
Advertisement
“There are not many people who truly get the opportunity in their lives to right such a dreadful wrong.
“The fact that you actually know the identities of all of my rapists gives you this unique opportunity. Please help me by coming forward and identifying your teammates who raped me.”
The alleged offence took place on a Saturday in late January or early February in 1978 at the now closed Strathmore Hotel in Elliot Street.
In a statement issued by Devon and Cornwall Police, the woman also appealed to anyone who may know the identity of the team that went on tour to Plymouth from South Wales at that time.
The rape happened during the firefighters’ strike and due to the freezing weather, many sports fixtures were cancelled.
Advertisement
“This ordeal for me might have been laughed off by teammates as tour ‘high spirits’. But this was nothing of the sort. For me, it was terrifying,” the woman said.
“Fortunately, though, there are many people who know exactly what these men did to me because they were there to witness it.
“Allegiances change over time, and those witnesses may not feel able to protect these people any longer by the silence of the ‘what happens on tour, stays on tour’ mantra.
“You may even know how they planned it, and how they put that plan into operation. You may even be aware that this was possibly not the first or last time that they did something similar to other young girls or women.
“Please help me by taking this opportunity to right this dreadful wrong.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--This Is The Toll Applying For Settled Status Takes On EU Citizens Like Me

Getty Editorial HuffPost UK
When I came to the UK in the 1970s from Europe, I found a job, obtained a National Insurance number and made London my home. Over the next decades I worked, earned further professional UK qualifications, and retired in 2007 with a UK state pension. Then, in 2016, the political tide in the UK turned, when the UK decided to leave the EU. It was as if someone had kicked me hard in the stomach, and told me “get out”.
I remember listening in growing horror to an unstoppable stream of lies told by the politicians and blindly duplicated by the media during – and after – the referendum campaign. Reliable information about my rights was hard to come by. The fluctuating Settled Status scheme for EU nationals, which Theresa May described as free, fair and short turned out to require a smartphone or a visit to one of then only three document identification centres in London – one a commercial outfit charging me £25 and no guarantee it wouldn’t retain my passport details. There was a real risk of my identity being stolen, I decided not to take my application any further until I was certain the confidentiality issue had been solved.
Advertisement
In the meantime, the questions and the uncertainty began to pile in: Where will I be next year? When do I sell my home? What will I be doing for a living? Can I take my pension and my NHS health cover with me? When do I begin to review my will? But no one knew the answers to these questions. Even my British friends seemed to be wholly indifferent to the predicament: “I am sure you’ll be allowed to stay”. “Surely, we wouldn’t kick out the EU nationals”. But I have been a political refugee before. Those memories, firmly locked away for 60 years, came piling back in. No friends, no place, no tomorrow.
Brexit, planned for 29 March 2019, dragged on and on. Occasionally, the media would report on the problems with the Settled Status procedure, while the government pretended all was hunky dory. The Home Office made it known that post Brexit, EU ID cards would no longer be accepted as travel documents. That was going to complicate travel for work. Then came the threat of deportation of loitering EU citizens. Theresa May’s hostile environment was in full swing.
“I have been a political refugee before. Those memories, firmly locked away for 60 years, came piling back in.”
In August 2019, the government announced a document identification service would be made available nationwide through local councils. That process seemed to have resolved the confidentiality issue, so the next day, I tried to book an appointment. I was offered a date months away – and just weeks before the new planned Brexit date of 31 October. This was cutting it very fine, so I took my passport to my local Town Hall in person and was immediately offered a cancellation slot. Contrary to what I had heard and read about it elsewhere, my local authority offered a document identification procedure that was brief, confidential and free. This was the only well-organised moment in the whole tragic comedy.
Advertisement
The next day I applied for Settled Status via the internet. According to the Home Office website “if the automated check finds that you receive a State Pension or New State Pension and are currently in the UK, you’ll be offered settled status without needing to provide further information about your residence”. Well I have a pension, I was in the country and yet, my application was refused. “We can find no evidence of your presence in the UK,” the system told me. Despite the fact that I had been at the same address for 40 years, on the same electoral roll for as long as I have had to, and even been called to do jury duty?
“You want my money but you don’t want me,” I remember thinking. There was no confirmatory email and no invitation to furnish additional evidence. The only remaining option appeared to be recourse to the fee-paying administrative review. This could not be done from abroad so would have to wait until I had returned from my holiday. I discovered my initial application had disappeared and so I could no longer seek an administrative review. Neither could I turn to the (not exactly free) helpline.
I decided it was time to call a witness to the absurdities of the application procedure and contacted the3million. Together with one of its representatives, I launched the new application. It was refused, again because it could not find me. This time, I was invited to submit evidence of residence for the last seven years – but according to published Home Office requirements pensioners like me only need to prove three years’ residency (and working age people five). Where did the seven years come from? No one was – or even now has been – able to tell me. Was this deliberate, or just a Chris Grayling-style mess?
I proceeded to dig up and photograph council tax bills, bank statements, pension payment records, all going back to 2012. Bundled together, however, the files exceeded the system’s 10mb limit for uploads. Why 10mb? And why not say so before? Anyway, we bundled the evidence into seven Word documents, one for each year. “Wrong format,” we were told – but again there had been no instruction to that effect prior to the uploading.
After a convoluted and time-consuming process of downloading free file conversion software and filtering through many documents, the evidence was finally uploaded. A decision would be communicated in due course. I was both exasperated and furious and, without the3million’s help, I think I might have thrown in the towel at that point.
Advertisement
A month later, the Home Office requested yet further evidence ‘within 14 days’. The original period to be covered, seven years, had mysteriously been reduced to five, but still covered a period for which I had already furnished ample evidence weeks before. More time had to be wasted. Would other people, less familiar with the law, perhaps unsupported, perhaps unable to find old papers, perhaps less skilled in IT, accept the even less secure Pre-Settled Status? Or just give up at the risk of being deported after Brexit? The logistical, financial and emotional drain of these last three-and-a-half years is enormous – at my age, one begins to become very aware of the fact there is less and less time left and one still had so many things to do.
“So, what now? Is it time to move? Where to? Somewhere near the sea, less dirty, less xenophobic?”
After yet another long technological process – involving photographing 24 monthly credit card statements, finding an appropriately large monitor at a local adult education college, and the3million converting all my documents into two PDF files to be labelled and uploaded to the Home Office from my laptop – I received a single, simple email to tell that I had obtained Settled Status.
This email states that it has no legal value and cannot be used as evidence of my newly acquired right to remain in the UK. That right can only be proved by going through a different part of the Home Office website; the self same site that failed to find me despite my full 40+ years residency and full NI, tax and pension records. As instructed, I read the accompanying letter carefully. It is full of provisos and begins by firmly reminding EU citizens of the transience of his or her rights:
“Your settled status gives you the right to stay in the UK under UK immigration law. At the same time, you can also continue to rely on any rights you have as an EEA or Swiss citizen or family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen under EU law for as long as it remains in force in the UK.”
Advertisement
An uncertain promise for an uncertain future.
So, what now? Is it time to move? Where to? Somewhere near the sea, less dirty, less xenophobic? I have been using the same tube station for 44 years. Home is London.
Baboule* is an EU citizen living in London, and writing under a pseudonym


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Wendy Williams Viewers Think She Farted During Her Live Show. Let’s Look At The Video Evidence

LOADING ERROR LOADING
There appears to be a worrying new trend emerging in celebland.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden did it last year and now US chat show host Wendy Williams has joined the ranks of this disturbing new (ahem) movement.
Yes dear readers, we’re unhappy to report that breaking wind live on air is now a thing.
Just weeks after Mandy parped during the Heart Breakfast radio show, which she co-hosts with Jamie Theakston (Jamie, you have our deepest sympathy), viewers of The Wendy Williams Show reckon the presenter let one go during Friday’s episode.
Advertisement
In the video evidence (above) Wendy can be seen shifting uncomfortably in her seat during one segment of the show before not-so-subtly lifting her cheek.
A mysterious tooting can then be heard, and despite not addressing the noise, Wendy’s face said it all...
Wendy Williams Fox
Nice try Wendy.
This audience member definitely heard it...
Busted. Fox
Advertisement
As did many viewers at home...
Wendy Williams really farted on live TV.
I am unable. pic.twitter.com/rZBLijgauZ — Psyflop (@RandyEmillio) January 19, 2020
Tha audience after Wendy Williams let out the mean wet fart on live tv pic.twitter.com/id1RwygRnD — Jay Tanjiro (@DoroJohn2) January 20, 2020
OMG Wendy Williams really be farting on Air WTF.... 🥴🤢🤦🏽♂ pic.twitter.com/3ZSkkkkV7B — iWontBite...iMight😜 (@8KingMorris4) January 18, 2020
wendy williams has the nerve to mock joaquin phoenix , but farted on live tv for everyone to see. pic.twitter.com/1fOxCQeHL8 — joseph joestars wife (@bxymaddi) January 20, 2020
Wendy Williams farting on tv now! ?? With no restraint!? pic.twitter.com/wB1fQzSmup — yes ✨ (@paretaughtyou) January 20, 2020
Advertisement
Still no comment from Windy, sorry, Wendy about the alleged incident. Stay tuned for an official statement (maybe).
The 55-year-old presenter is no stranger to having a moment on her daytime show.
Back in 2017, Wendy fainted during a costume contest segment for her Halloween-themed show.
Dressed in a sparkling Statue of Liberty getup, Wendy began to slur her words as she announced the contest winners and wobbled backward before dropping to the floor without warning.
Wendy Williams just passed out on live TV. And then rallied like a friggin champ minutes later. https://t.co/uN66NEAwR4 pic.twitter.com/L5uMsRMpN0 — Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) October 31, 2017
Then the show immediately cut to black, as the audience members screamed with concern and crew members rushed to her side.
After a lengthy commercial break, Wendy regained consciousness and explained her fall, finishing the show without further issues.
Advertisement
“That was not a stunt. I overheated in my costume and I passed out,” she told the audience. “I am a champ, and I am back.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Love Island's Siannise Fudge Births A Thousand Memes With Reaction To Rebecca Gormley's Arrival

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Any Love Island fan knows that the best part of the show isn’t actually anything that happens on screen, but the commentary around it on social media – something that proved to be the case again on Monday night.
Viewers were falling over themselves to make the best meme after Siannise Fudge served up a particularly stunning reaction to Rebecca Gormley’s arrival.
Advertisement
The Bristolian beauty therapist became a viral sensation when her face told a thousand words as the latest bombshell strutted into the villa.
Fans of the ITV2 show saw the former Miss Newcastle surprise the Islanders by arriving during the Dirty Dancing challenge, which saw the girls and boys have to perform lap dances for one another in a bid to see who raised everyone’s heart rates the most.
And as Siannise and the rest of the girls watched on from the balcony during Rebecca’s dance, it was clear to see the former wasn’t exactly thrilled by the latter’s arrival, and a thousand memes were born...
Advertisement
Many used it to depict some of the biggest talking points of the series so far, like Siannise’s savage pie-ing of Nas Majeed...
When u realise u shouldn’t have friend zoned nas #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/jT99df7zI2 — Sphlatt (@Sphlatt) January 20, 2020
Or her fury at people pronouncing her name wrong (it’s ShON-nice, by the way)...
When you come out the villa and realise the whole UK can't pronounce your name #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/XiWGfJjkKR — MemeGuru (@MemeGuru8) January 20, 2020
And the arrival of Connagh – aka, “Connor with a G”...
When you want to change your name to Rebecca with a g #loveisland pic.twitter.com/B0RABCi0HN — ★ ANASTAZIA ★ (@__Anastazia__) January 20, 2020
Others found Siannise’s reaction relatable to real-life situations, like awkward office events...
When there’s a birthday in the office so you have to sing and clap and ask how they’re celebrating but you really just wanna get some cake and go #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/MKMnsLCW6a — Lindsey (@lindseyf92_) January 20, 2020
Advertisement
The daily struggle of trying to catch your crush’s attention...
when you post a snap and it’s been 23 hrs and your crush still ain’t viewed it but out here posting on his story #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/vT3R3148HT — 🕊 (@justsanab) January 20, 2020
Drunken nights out...
when you said you were only going out for a couple of drinks and it’s now 5am and you’re in the bathroom by yourself hammered looking at yourself in the mirror like #loveisland pic.twitter.com/ZJNrbbNjQ5 — anthony (@anthonyfrost96) January 20, 2020
Parental frustration...
When you thought you were getting Dominoes but your mum comes home with an Asda Pizza #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/ibaUYjj0cy — Michael Doran (@MrMister88) January 20, 2020
Even football...
When your on an away day but you could only get a ticket in the home end & they score a 93rd minute winner #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/3e9n1QRftw — Lee Scott (@LeeScott321) January 20, 2020
Here’s some more of the best reactions...
When you see that Boohoo money slip away #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/hZTJHT4Q1u — Rhiannon Evans (@rhiannonev) January 20, 2020
Advertisement
Siannise seems relaxed enough about the new girl #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/JhlytinHup — Rick Edwards (@rickedwards1) January 20, 2020
Literally my face when watching Shonice dance during that challenge #loveisland pic.twitter.com/l0UDRwQZfm — DJ Banda (@DJBandaUK) January 20, 2020
Advertisement
The end of Monday night’s episode saw Connor Durham and Callum Jones prepare to head out on dates with Rebecca, after she managed to raise their heart rates the most with her lap dance.
Find out if either of their heads were turned when Love Island continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV2.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Justice Secretary Defends Proposal To Use Lie Detectors Tests For Terrorists

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The justice secretary has defended a proposal to give terrorists lie detector tests to prove they have reformed and are not planning to carry out another attack.
Plans to introduce “polygraph testing” were announced by the government as part of a wave of measures being described as a “major overhaul” in the way terrorists are punished and monitored, including tougher sentences to see them locked up for longer.
Advertisement
It is understood there are hopes terrorists who are going to be out on licence could be made to take the test in a similar way to which sex offenders are sometimes questioned to check their behaviour.
Robert Buckland said the tests could be an effective risk assessment tool, despite having accuracy rates as low as 60%.
“Lie detectors have already been introduced in assessing the risk posed to the public by sex offenders, they came in about seven years ago,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“They’re not part of the criminal investigation or evidence one might hear in court. It’s all about the authorities assessing the risk posed to the public by offenders.
Advertisement
“This is not a new concept. I think it is a sensible measure in order to help maximise the understanding of the risks that some of these prisoners pose to society.”
Tributes for Jack Merritt left at the scene of the London Bridge terror attack. SIPA USA/PA Images
Pressed on the accuracy of the tests, he told Sky News: “I’m not pretending on their own, polygraphs, lie detectors, are the be-all-and-end-all, which is why what we are also doing is doubling the number of specialised counter-terrorism probation officers… improving training, getting more psychologists in there, specialist imams as well will be working with these people.”
“We get a lot of people who are superficially very compliant with the regime and sometimes the assessment of risk is a really difficult thing to do.”
“You can get people who are in effect sleepers for many years and then suddenly back come the hatreds and the prejudices and we see atrocities like the one we did at Fishmongers’ Hall.
Advertisement
However the measure has been dubbed the “Jeremy Kyle” method by some critics.
The Jeremy Kyle approach to risk assessment! Sadly, we already use lie detectors with sex offenders. https://t.co/wSg3KS0E9K — Andrew Percy (@DrAndyPercy) January 21, 2020
More details of The Counter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill have been released after plans for change were put in place in the wake of the latest London Bridge attack and later announced during the Queen’s Speech.
Today, we’re announcing a counter-terror package including tougher sentences for offenders, an overhaul of probation, and a £90m increase in funding for CT Police. We are also investing in support for victims of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/kkdR9OePpx — Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) January 21, 2020
It is less than two months since convicted terrorist Usman Khan embarked on a killing spree armed with two knives and wearing a fake suicide vest after attending a prisoner rehabilitation programme near London Bridge.
Describing the move as a “major shift” in the UK’s approach to the sentencing and management of terrorist offenders, the announcement from the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) also promised to force dangerous terrorists who receive extended determinate sentences to serve the whole time behind bars.
Advertisement
Other measures include doubling the number of counter terrorism probation officers, scrapping early release from jail for those classed as dangerous and ensuring those convicted of terrorism offences spend a minimum of 14 years in jail.
Plans have also been made to give an immediate £500,000 cash injection for support for victims of terrorism.
Terrorists deemed not to be a risk would have to serve two-thirds of their sentence before the Parole Board could consider them for release.
Jonathan Hall QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, will also review the way in which agencies like the police, probation and security services investigate and monitor terrorists – known as Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa).
(Left) Jack Merritt, 25, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire and (right) Saskia Jones, 23, of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, both died following the terrorist attack near to London Bridge. PA Wire/PA Images
Advertisement
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The senseless terror attack at Fishmongers’ Hall in November confronted us with some hard truths about how we deal with terrorist offenders, which is why we immediately announced a review into sentencing and licence conditions, to do whatever is necessary to stop these sickening attacks from taking place.
“Today we are delivering on those promises.”
Plans for the Bill were first mooted shortly after the November attack, which claimed the lives of Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt.
At the time Merritt’s father Dave hit out at Boris Johnson, accusing him of seeing an opportunity to score political points during the general election in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Khan, a 28-year-old British national from Staffordshire, had been released from prison on licence in December 2018, halfway through a 16-year prison sentence after he was convicted of terror offences in February 2012.
He was part of an al Qaida-inspired terror group, linked to radical preacher Anjem Choudary, that plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp on land in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir owned by his family.
Advertisement
Flowers and a pictures are left in memory of Jack Merritt. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Staffordshire Police is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct for its role in managing Khan.
In the year to the end of September, there were 44 convictions for terrorism offences, with 17 offenders being sent to jail for between four and 10 years, the Government said.
Five were jailed for 10 years or more and one was handed a life sentence.
Around 245 convicted terrorists were freed from jail between 2012 and 2019.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the announcement of a security overhaul was “an admission of failure” by the government.
“Major terrorist outrages have occurred all too frequently, including attacks by perpetrators who were known to the security services,” she said.
Advertisement
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine said judges already had the power to lock up terrorists for life while polygraphs were “not accurate or reliable enough” for such critical decisions.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Laurence Fox Takes Aim At ‘Incongruous’ Inclusion Of Sikh Soldier in Oscar-Nominated 1917

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The actor has criticised the filmmaker for including a Sikh soldier in his latest movie, which has been nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Advertisement
Laurence Fox SIPA USA/PA Images
The 41-year-old questioned the film’s storyline and what he describes as the “incongruous” inclusion of a Sikh soldier, Sepoy Jondalar, played by Nabhaan Rizwan, in the ranks of the British forces.
Speaking on writer James Delingpole’s podcast, Fox remarks: ’It’s like, ‘There were Sikhs fighting in this war’ . . . OK, you’re now diverting me away from what the story is.
“There is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way.”
He added that the “oddness of the casting” causes a “very heightened awareness of the colour of someone’s skin”.
Advertisement
The actor, who is best known for his roles in the ITV dramas Lewis and Victoria, goes on to praise Rizwan’s performance in the war film.
Nabhaan Rizwan attends the 1917 World Premiere in London's Leicester Square. Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images
“He’s great in it,” he says, before arguing that having a Sikh appear in the British Army “did sort of flick me out of what is essentially a one-shot film [because] it’s just incongruous with the story”.
Sikh soldiers played a key role in the British Army in World War I, including fighting in the battles of Ypres and the Somme.
Last week, Fox’s appearance on Question Time was criticised by many viewers, after he suggested that to call him a “white privileged male” was in itself racist.
Advertisement
This came during a conversation about the media’s treatment of Meghan Markle, which he was insistent was not rooted in racism.
“It’s not racism. We’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe. It’s so easy to just throw your charge of racism at everybody and it’s starting to get boring now,” he moaned.
Among his public critics was singer Lily Allen, who shared a post on her Instagram story, saying she was “sick to death of luvvies like Laurence Fox going on TV and forcing their opinions on everybody else”.
Lily Allen is the most stunningist and bravery artist in the whole wide world.#stunningandbrave pic.twitter.com/CAKFcyMDba — LAURENCE FOX (@LozzaFox) January 18, 2020
She wrote: “He’ll never have to deal with what normal people have had to deal with in his gated community. BBC should be ashamed, this is not what we pay our TV license for.
Advertisement
“Stick to acting mate. Instead of ranting about things you don’t know anything about.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Pig Bungee Jumping Stunt In China Prompts Global Outcry

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A theme park in China is facing international backlash for throwing a live pig off a bungee jumping platform for a marketing stunt.
In disturbing footage documenting the incident, employees of Meixin Red Wine Town theme park can be seen carrying a trussed-up pig, reportedly weighing 160 pounds, up a metal stairway. When they reach the top, they dress the animal in a purple cape and attach it to bungee cords.
Advertisement
They then push the pig over the edge of the 220-foot platform. The animal can be heard squealing loudly as it plummets and jerks back up repeatedly. The audience reacts with screams, laughter and applause.
Subsequent clips show the pig lying partially conscious on the platform before being moved away by staff.
A still of the pig being taken to the edge of the bungee jumping tower. Video
The pig could be heard screaming after it was pushed off the edge. Video
Advertisement
People on Chinese social media reacted to the footage with outrage, slamming the theme park operator for animal cruelty.
“It was miserable for the animal! It’s a disgusting marketing idea to attract attention by abusing a pig!” one user said on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to local news site Global Times.
“It’s not funny at all. It just shows what human beings can do when they get bored,” said another.
The park, located in the Chongqing region of southwestern China, has since apologised for the incident, reportedly telling a Beijing news station on Sunday that the “ill-conceived activity aimed to pray for pork prices to take a dive.” (Pork prices in China have soared in the last year due to an outbreak of African swine fever wiping out hundreds of millions of pigs.)
The park owner said the jump was staged to mark the end of the Year of the Pig, according to the South China Morning Post.
What happened to the animal after its ordeal is not known. However, several local reports indicate it was ultimately sent to a slaughterhouse.
Advertisement
Animal rights groups have condemned the act. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the incident “cruelty to animals at its worst” in a statement from Jason Baker, PETA’s vice president of international campaigns. Baker urged China’s government to make legislative changes.
China currently does not have any federal laws prohibiting the mistreatment of animals. However, there’s been a growing movement for animal rights and welfare there in recent years.
“A bungee jump is a scary experience even for consenting humans — just imagine the outright terror of being forcibly strung up by your legs and thrown from a high platform,” Baker said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--At Least 3 Dead In China As Officials Say New Virus Can Spread With Human Contact

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A senior Chinese health official has said the new coronavirus strain that has left hundreds sick and at least three people dead can be transmitted by human-to-human contact.
This has prompted concerns that it could spread far more quickly as hundreds of millions of people in China prepare to travel this week for Lunar New Year.
Advertisement
Zhong Nanshan, who is well-known in China for his work fighting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, in 2003, told China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency on Monday that two people had been infected with the coronavirus from family members.
Chinese officials had said that at least 217 cases of the new virus had been reported as of Monday evening, predominantly in the city of Wuhan, where the first case was traced to a seafood market.
“The current cases show there is definitely human-to-human transmission,” Zhong, the head of a team established by China’s National Health Commission to investigate the virus, told the state-run CCTV.
Officials had initially said the virus appeared to spread primarily through contact with animals.
Coronavirus is a large family of viruses and causes a type of pneumonia with symptoms that include fever and difficulty breathing. The English-language China Daily said Tuesday at least 15 medical workers in Wuhan had already been diagnosed with pneumonia linked to the coronavirus. One staff member was in critical condition.
Advertisement
Travelers wear face masks outside of the Beijing Railway Station on Jan. 20, 2020. China reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus on Monday, including the first cases in the capital. The outbreak coincides with the country's busiest travel period as millions board trains and planes for the Lunar New Year holidays. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials to take the outbreak seriously in his first public comments on the matter, saying “party committees, governments and relevant departments at all levels should put people’s lives and health first,” The Associated Press reported.
Zhong expressed confidence that the new coronavirus would not be as dangerous as SARS, which killed nearly 800 people globally during the outbreak. The official said it only took two weeks to identify the new virus and China had quarantine systems that would help control its spread.
But the outbreak has already prompted global fear the virus could spread, particularly as hundreds of millions of people in China begin traveling for the Lunar New Year holiday this week. The Washington Post notes that Chinese officials expect 3 billion trips to be taken in the 40-day period surrounding Lunar New Year’s Day, which is this Saturday.
Infections have already been reported domestically in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong. Internationally, there have been cases in Thailand, Japan and South Korea.
Advertisement
Authorities have begun screening airline passengers traveling from Wuhan to airports in Australia, Japan, Singapore and the United States — including in New York and Los Angeles.
The World Health Organization has convened an emergency committee that will meet this Wednesday to determine if the spread of the coronavirus amounts to an international health emergency, Reuters reported. The declaration has recently been used for the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo and the rise of the Zika virus in 2016.
The UN’s health agency has not yet recommended any travel restrictions or guidance for the new coronavirus.
Within the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it was “closely monitoring” the spread of the virus, but said there is “much more to learn” about how it is transmitted.
“More cases may be identified in the coming days, including more in countries outside China, and possibly in the United States,” the agency said. “Given what has occurred previously with MERS and SARS, it’s likely that some limited person-to-person spread will continue to occur.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Councils In Last-Ditch Plea To Boris Johnson On Child Refugees

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make sense of politics. Sign up to the Waugh Zone and get the political day in a nutshell.
Councils have urged Boris Johnson to restore protections for lone child refugees to his Brexit bill or risk them being exposed to abuse or exploitation.
Twelve local authority leaders from around the country made the last-ditch intervention as the prime minister braced for a defeat on the issue in a Tuesday House of Lords vote on his withdrawal agreement bill (WAB).
Advertisement
Johnson stripped from the bill protections of family reunion rights for child refugees, but has insisted he will restore them in the forthcoming immigration bill.
That has been rejected by Labour peer Lord Dubs, who has pioneered the issue and warned that ministers’ promises cannot be trusted.
Lord Dubs, who came to the UK on a Kindertransport as a child refugee fleeing the Nazis, is one of four Lords members leading Tuesday’s push to formally reinstate family reunion rights in the WAB.
Now the 10 councils have joined him in calling on the government to guarantee that it will negotiate a continuation of “safe passage” for lone child refugees in Europe through family reunion before Britain leaves the EU on January 31.
Advertisement
They are concerned that if ministers do not replace EU regulations on family reunion, known as Dublin III, unaccompanied children could be at risk after Brexit,
In a letter to the PM organised by Lewisham council leader Damien Egan, they said: “Local authorities are supporting thousands of children who have endured horrendous journeys on lorries in order to reach the UK, precisely because they are not able to access a safe and legal route such as family reunion.
“Guaranteeing access to safe passage, such as family reunion and the Dubs scheme, will help us, as local authorities, plan and prepare for children’s arrivals. And critically, it will give more children an alternative to risking their lives.
“Family reunion under Dublin III has meant hundreds of children are no longer trying to survive in camps and car parks across Europe.
“But unless a replacement to Dublin III is agreed between the UK and EU after Brexit there is a real danger children – who otherwise would have found safety in the UK – will be exposed to the dangers of surviving alone including the risk of abuse or exploitation by unscrupulous individuals.
Advertisement
Afghan children ride their bicycles in a makeshift migrants camp near Calais in 2016 ASSOCIATED PRESS
“We remain committed to our country’s long tradition of welcoming more child refugees and strongly urge you to reconsider this decision.”
A government spokesperson said: “Protecting vulnerable children will remain our priority after Brexit and the withdrawal agreement bill reaffirms this commitment while clarifying the role of parliament and government in negotiations.
“We have a proud record of helping vulnerable children, granting protection to 41,000 since 2010 and doing more than the vast majority of EU countries to help unaccompanied minors.”
Following the election, Johnson changed the WAB so that the government no longer has an obligation to negotiate with the EU a continuation of family reunion rights.
Advertisement
Instead it must simply lay a statement before parliament on its policy on the issue after Brexit.
Tuesday’s vote will come after the government suffered its first parliamentary defeat in the Lords, over the right of EU citizens lawfully residing in the UK after Brexit to have physical proof of their status.
The Labour council leaders signing the letter were: Lewisham, Hammersmith and Fulham, Leeds, Cambridge, Hackney, Oxford, Stevenage, Trafford, Lambeth, Warrington, Plymouth, Haringey and Lancaster.
Steve Cowan, leader of Hammersmith and Fulham council, said he was able to offer services for local people as well as refugees.
He said: “Our first priority is always our residents, which is why Hammersmith and Fulham has the third lowest council tax in Britain, offers free homecare for our residents and free breakfasts for all our primary school children.
“But during the worst global refugee crisis in the post-war period, we also have a moral duty to the most vulnerable people of all – unaccompanied refugee children.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Always Strapped For Cash? The 'Paycheck Budget' Could Be A Gamechanger.

wenmei Zhou via Getty Images
Living paycheck-to-paycheck is stressful and frustrating. When the money hits your bank account on payday, it feels like Christmas morning. But as soon as all the bills are paid, you’re once again struggling to stretch those last few pounds for another two weeks.
If you can relate, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way forever.
If budgeting has always been a struggle, you might need to ditch traditional monthly budgets and try budgeting by paycheck instead.
Advertisement
The Problem With Traditional Monthly Budgets
Conventional budgets tend to follow a monthly format, where all your income and expenses are planned out for about 30 days at a time. There’s nothing inherently wrong with budgeting this way, but it’s important to recognise that it doesn’t work for everyone. If you live this way, you probably know what it’s like to run out of cash before the end of the month despite all your best intentions.
In other words, budgeting strictly by month might be the most common strategy, but it’s not necessarily the best one for you.
Kumiko Love (her pen name), an accredited finance counsellor, blogger and founder of The Budget Mom, wasn’t always a money maven. Her business was born out of years of struggling to pay off debt and make ends meet. And she realised that part of the problem was how she was budgeting her money.
“In the beginning, I couldn’t figure out why I was having such a hard time managing my income on a monthly schedule. I would pay my bills on time, but by the end of the month, I would always come up short,” Love said.
Advertisement
But one day, it clicked. “I was paying my bills every time I got paid, so why wasn’t I budgeting my income with every paycheck?”
How The Budget-By-Paycheck Method Works
As you might have guessed, following the paycheck budget means you create a budget that’s based on how often you get paid (for many workers, that’s every two weeks). “Instead of budgeting in larger time frames such as a month or year, this method breaks it down into smaller chunks,” explained Jovan Johnson, a certified financial planner and founder and CEO of Piece of Wealth Financial Planning in Atlanta.
This allows you to manage and monitor your spending much better. “Every dollar has an assignment,” Johnson said, adding that he actually budgets his own finances this way.
Love added that the paycheck budget allows you to check on your budget more frequently and have a plan in place before you receive any income.
“Budgeting strictly by month might be the most common strategy, but it’s not necessarily the best one for you.”
Advertisement
Another benefit of the budget-by-paycheck method is that it’s totally customisable to your lifestyle and preferences. For instance, Love is a visual learner, so she relies on calendars, workbooks and a highlighter system to manage her budget. She also incorporates the envelope method into her system.
Budgeting by paycheck can be as simple or elaborate as you want. The point is that it allows you to see exactly where your money is going and to be more hands-on with your finances.
Here’s the gist of how it works.
1. Determine how much money you take home every pay period. The first step is fairly simple ― take a look at your pay stubs and find out how much money you get paid every pay period once taxes, retirement contributions, etc. have been taken out.
2. Put your monthly bills on a calendar. Next, go through your bank and credit card statements to come up with a list of all your recurring bills, such as rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, child care, subscription services, etc. Jot down the due date for each and organise chronologically. You might also prefer to write these down on an actual calendar, along with your other appointments and events, as Love does.
Advertisement
3. Split up variable expenses. Some of your expenses —such as groceries and gas for the car — won’t be the same amount each month and might not be due on a set day.
For these types of expenses, you’ll need to average how much you typically spend on them, and then split the total among your paycheck. For example, if you spend an average of £500 on groceries each month and get paid twice a month, you’ll need to allocate £250 from your first paycheck and £250 from the second paycheck to cover that expense.
4. Set aside extra cash for irregular expenses and savings. Also known as a sinking fund, you’ll need a cash reserve for expenses that don’t occur regularly. This is separate from your savings, which you don’t want to tap into for daily living costs.
For instance, you might pay your car insurance premium every six months, or do your holiday shopping in the last couple of months of the year. Plus, there are birthdays, vacations, weddings, school trips and other random expenses that tend to pop up throughout the year.
Advertisement
Look back at your spending from last year and estimate how much you spend in these categories on an annual basis, then divide that sum by the number of paycheck you’ll receive. For example, if your car insurance premiums total £1,200 for the year, divide that by 26 paycheck (assuming you’re paid every two weeks). You’ll need to set aside about £42 each payday for that expense.
5. Assign expenses to each paycheck. Once you have all your expenses accounted for and calendared out, you’ll need to assign each one to a paycheck.
Bills that have strict due dates will need to be paid with the check you receive during that particular pay period. However, you can allocate funds for your variable expenses, sinking fund and savings between your checks however you see fit. Just be sure to strike a balance so that you never spend more than you get paid for that two weeks (or however long your pay periods are).
6. Make a plan for the leftovers. Stick with the paycheck budget method for a few weeks so you can learn where you need to tweak the numbers and move dates around.
Advertisement
Are you consistently ending up in the red? You may need to cut back on your spending in certain categories or change the timing of payments. If you tend to end up with extra cash once all your obligations are paid (congratulations!), it’s important to put that money to work. This can be an opportunity to pay down your debt faster, build up an emergency fund or finally save for that family vacation.
Could The Paycheck Budget Work For You?
Johnson pointed out that some people might see the time required to follow this budget as a potential drawback. “This method will require more time upfront ... it may seem very restrictive to some,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--The Best Flowers And Roses To Order Online For Valentine’s Day Delivery

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Not all clichés are bad, sometimes they’re clichéd because there’s nothing better to fit the job – and that’s certainly the case with flowers on Valentine’s Day. I defy you to find one person who wouldn’t enjoy opening the door, or returning home, to beautifully arranged blooms, accompanied by a poetic gift card, sent from the person they love.
From the poetic ‘single rose’ to bunches that even Kanye West (who, last year, filled his lounge with vases of single stemmed roses for wife, Kim Kardashian) would deem ideal for V-Day – he also enlisted the help of American saxophonist, Kenny G, though sadly none of the delivery services below offer this option.
Advertisement
Whether you’re looking to splash out on something super special or just send a small token of your love, here’s our pick of the best bunches, and brands, out there. We’ve handily marked the ones that offer same day delivery too, because sometimes romance is more of a last-minute thing. No judgement here.
HuffPost UK Bloom & Wild
When one type of rose isn’t enough, send them four with this country-luxe bunch from popular flower service Bloom and Wild. All Valentine’s Day bouquets can be posted through the letterbox so your crush needn’t clear their diary to receive them, plus price includes a gift card and free Royal Mail tracked delivery.
HuffPost UK Dozen Pink Roses, Flume
Advertisement
Classic, romantic and sure to buy you some serious brownie points, these Pink Avalanche Roses are high quality and come hand-tied with a selection of foliage and delicate little flowers. Floom’s curated collection of Valentine’s Day roses bouquets is limited but utterly beautiful in quality and simplicity.
HuffPost UK Unicorn Bliss, Bunches
Shun tradition and opt for this bright bunch of zany, interesting flowers, featuring a selection of Chrysanthemums, Alstroemeria and pink Oriental Lily, finished with stems of natural twig. The ‘Romantic’ bunches on offer for V-Day offer more traditional options, starting from just £21, and UK delivery is included.
HuffPost UK 100 Red Roses, Appleyard
Knock their socks off with 100 red Calypso roses in a deep red. If this isn’t the stuff of Hollywood rom coms, then I don’t know what is. Appleyard is currently offering generous discounts across various bunches in their Valentine’s range and are the perfect option for anyone looking to go big this year. They even offer same day delivery!
Advertisement
HuffPost UK Scented Moonlight, Serenata Flowers
This rather poetically named bunch of flowers is an on-trend mix of Freesias, Lisianthus, Asters and Stocks. We’re not sure what scented moonlight would smell like in reality, but it certainly smells sweet when it comes to this selection. Serenata Flowers offer same day delivery, or let you choose the day, and bunches (of which there are many to choose from) can be delivered through the letterbox.
HuffPost UK Love Heart, Teleflorist
This aptly named ‘Love Heart’ bunch is an elegant mix of pink and red tulips, displayed in a matching gift bag. If you prefer to go classic, then Teleflorist also offers a wide selection of roses – including the signature single rose – and offer same day delivery if the lovebug hits you before 3pm.
HuffPost UK Rain Dance, Flower Station
Advertisement
This fiery bunch of red freesias and lush greenery would be more aptly named ‘victory dance’, as that’s what you’ll be doing when you see the smile on your loved one’s face. Head to Flower Station for large, luxe and beautifully hand-tied bunches to spoil the apple of your eye. Add a vase, chocolates and teddy bears for that extra special touch and take advantage of the late night and 24-hour services.
HuffPost UK Red Rhapsody, Interflora
Yes, more roses, but this time they’re interspersed with a pop of purple from the lisianthus and veronica in the bunch. It’s worth noting that Interflora bunches come in bud form so that they last longer, but you might want to order them a day before you plan to bestow them upon your better half. Standard delivery costs from £6 and same day delivery is available on specific dates £11.
HuffPost UK Vibrant Charm, Flying Flowers
Simple, bright and bloomin’ romantic, this mix of colours is sure to light up anyone’s day. Flying Flowers also offer a range of rose-based bunches, from classic to inventive, and delivery is free. Well, they do say all the best things in life are.
Advertisement
HuffPost UK Single Red Rose, eflorist
You don’t always need to go big to explain how you feel, as this simple, yet romantic, red rose demonstrates. If you want a ‘more is more’ approach instead, eflorist also have a range of larger bunches featuring roses, lilies and other romantic additions. Delivery is free across the V-Day range, but all bunches have an additional £5.95 service fee added.
HuffPost UK Scented Spring Posy Jug, Waitrose
Why not pick up your bread and milk at the same time as your flowers? Waitrose’s gorgeous range of bunches includes this countrified selection of scented posies, gifted in a ceramic white jug, perfect for saying ‘you’re my sunshine’. You can also choose from a range of letterbox flowers and more traditional, romantic bunches and add a luxury box of Charbonnel et Walker truffles (the Queen’s fave) when you check out.
HuffPost UK Contemporary Pink, Flower Card
Advertisement
If you did the classic bunch of red roses last year and need something different this Valentine’s Day, then Flower Card has a range of gorgeous, 3D cards featuring fresh blooms and tear-jerking sentiment. This extra card is sure to make anyone’s day with its overflowing santinis, pittosporum, mini Colombian carnations and chico leaf. Standard delivery from £5 or next day from £9.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Young Kids Are Ending Up In Hospital With Eating Disorders. Could This Be How We Stop It?

tarras79 via Getty Images
More and more people are being hospitalised for eating disorders – a sign that thousands are reaching crisis point – and almost a quarter of them are children and young people.
Figures released by NHS Digital at the start of January showed hospital admissions for eating disorders rose across all age groups from nearly 14,000 in 2016-17 to 19,000 in 2018-19. In 2019, there were 4,471 hospital admissions for children with eating disorders, up 8% on the year before. This included 16 children aged nine and under who were hospitalised for anorexia.
Advertisement
What’s behind the rise in admissions?
One factor could be greater awareness, says Tom Quinn, director of external affairs for the eating disorder charity Beat. For example, improved ability among healthcare professionals to identify eating disorders or even a result of the general public being more educated on the symptoms.
But the surge in admissions could also highlight a more worrying trend – that the number of young people with eating disorders is increasing and they’re not getting the help they need early on.
In 2019, 2,403 children under 18 years old were hospitalised for anorexia. It’s the mental illness with the highest fatality rate due to medical complications associated with weight loss, as well as the risk of suicide. A 2016 study found that in a sample of 47 girls admitted to hospital for anorexia nervosa, suicidal behaviour was present in 60% of patients and self-harm in 49%.
Advertisement
Emily David works on the frontline for Hampshire CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service) and says a lot of young people are referred late into services, “so are already very unwell and require admission as part of their recovery journey”.
David, who is a lead clinical psychologist for Hampshire’s Specialist Eating Disorder Team, points out that while there are national access and waiting time standards for young people, many specialist eating disorder service are “embryonic or developing” and not fully resourced to meet demand.
“It means that young people may not be accessing specialist help as quickly as they might need,” she says. Eating disorder services are not crisis services so aren’t always able to “provide the intensity or frequency of input” that someone might need.
The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan promised to boost investment in children and young people’s eating disorder services. But it’s a slow process. Dr Agnes Ayton, chairwoman of the faculty of eating disorders psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, wants the government to ensure eating disorder services are properly staffed.
A workforce census by the college found one in six eating disorder psychiatrist posts are unfilled. Improving staffing could help bring down waiting times and reduce the need for hospitalisation, Dr Ayton told the Independent.
Meanwhile, a recent Guardian investigation revealed at least 12 highly vulnerable people with eating disorders died over the past seven years after failings in care that led coroners in England and Wales to send official warnings to 11 hospital trusts.
Advertisement
Early intervention saves lives
Experts agree that early intervention is key in the successful treatment of eating disorders, as faster diagnosis and treatment usually correlates with improved outcomes in patients. “Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible and the sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full and sustained recovery,” says Tom Quinn from Beat.
But what does early intervention actually involve? “A lot of it is around providing information and advice to adult caregivers such as GPs, education staff, parents/carers about the signs and symptoms of eating disorders as well as letting people know where and how to access help and support,” says David.
Getting to the point of accessing support can be easier said than done. Eating disorders are often shrouded in secrecy and sometimes people in the grips of a disorder – whether that’s anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating or another form of disordered eating – do not recognise that anything is wrong. This can make it hard for them to seek help on their own terms, and might make it difficult for those who want to help but do not know what to say.
Other barriers for young people when it comes to seeking help, says David, include worrying about the reactions of others, about letting people down, or that people will think they’re attention-seeking or won’t take them seriously. Some young people are confused or uncertain about what is going on, she adds, and therefore aren’t sure about who or where to go for support.
Advertisement
Suffering in silence
Hope Virgo, a mental health campaigner with personal experience of anorexia, believes removing the secrecy element is key to reducing hospital admissions. “I think that people are too afraid to talk about it because we are scared of triggering, saying the wrong thing or causing someone to shut down,” she says.
Advertisement
“Eating disorders are secondary symptoms and an unhealthy coping mechanism, but still we need to tackle both the food and the root issue. By not saying anything it means that that individual could think no one has noticed it, or that they don’t look sick, or that no one cares.
Virgo says she was about 12 when she first developed anorexia. She says the first indicator that something wasn’t right was an obsession with talking about food, dieting and exercise. At 13, she stopped eating meat, which made it harder for her mum to prepare evening meals
“I spent most evening meals out and about, talked a lot about the little food I was having and, at mealtimes, would cover my plate in salad or vegetables,” she recalls. “I became withdrawn, spending more and more time upstairs in my room, away from everything that was going on.”
As her illness worsened, there were times where someone could have said something, Virgo says – but nobody knew how to broach it. “My parents would hear me being sick and watch me not eat, but felt unable to start that conversation – it’s not their fault at all, but another reason why we need to have these chats straight away because if we don’t, behaviours get so engrained.”
Conversations may feel futile or easily shut down, but persevere, says Virgo. “The fact is if we don’t have these conversations people suffer in silence. We need to be picking them up as soon as things change. You may think your child is just on a diet, but it could also be something else.”
Advertisement
How to start the conversation
Virgo says she would have liked someone to have said to her: “I know you aren’t eating. What’s going on? How are you feeling?” It’s important to do this in a safe space though, she notes, away from meal times – and to follow up later.
If you are worried about your child, David notes that some eating disorder services are self-referral, so parents can phone the service directly to speak to a professional. If that’s not an option, she advises seeing your GP and pushing for a referral to your local eating disorder service; speaking to your child’s school and sharing your concerns, and talking to your child about general worries they may have or changes you have noticed. It’s important to reassure them that you want to try to understand and help – and that you will work together.
“Often young people have all sorts of catastrophic beliefs about what might happen,” says David, “so it’s about including them in decision-making as much as possible, being open and honest, transparent and trying your best to stay calm, open and responsive. Trust your gut instinct, if something doesn’t feel right and your young person is denying any problem, try to see your GP or get professional advice as soon as possible.”
Useful websites and helplines:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Lisa Nandy Has Got To Basecamp. Can She Reach Labour’s Summit?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Sign up now to get The Waugh Zone, our weekday evening politics briefing, by email.
Fine and Nandy
Some people forget that Lisa Nandy is the only BAME candidate in the Labour leadership race. But GMB union members certainly didn’t forget today, as the Wigan MP delivered the crucial hustings performance that all but guaranteed she will now be on the final ballot paper.
I’m told that Nandy drew the loudest, longest applause of any candidate during two key points: when she talked of minority ethnic rights and when she talked of her own mixed race heritage. Her father Deepak Nandy was the academic who wrote the Harold Wilson government’s 1976 Race Relations Act. But he was also the radical activist who staged sit-ins at a racist pub in Leicester in the 1960s. Her description of his struggles and her backstory was ‘the moment she won the room’, I’m told.
Advertisement
Nandy’s own combination of intellect and radicalism ought to be catnip to the middle-class base of today’s Labour party. At the same time, her northern roots and constituency can help it reconnect with the Leave-voting working classes who switched to the Tories. In theory, that all makes her the perfect unity candidate. Yet while she may be the media’s current darling, she’s barely hitting double figures in polls of members.
The GMB’s endorsement means she can at least get out in front of the hundreds of thousands of members who simply haven’t heard much about her. Her campaign has always insisted that the more people know her, the more they like her. That theory, which has to contend with the brute numbers already backing Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey, will be stress-tested to the limit in coming weeks, though the real fear must be that it’s already too late to change minds.
Still, an excellent day for Nandy was capped by a Channel 4 News focus group of ex-Labour voters tonight, showing unanimous support for her as the candidate to best win back their votes (although Emily Thornberry did well too). The comments for Starmer (“corporate”, “boring”) and Long-Bailey (“Corbyn clone” “angry”) were less than flattering. In a striking tumbleweed moment, not a single hand went up for Long-Bailey at the end. But only a couple went up for Starmer too. If he does win this thing, he’s got a lot of work to do with focus groups like that.
But the Channel 4 focus group was made up of members of the public, not members of the Labour party. And Long-Bailey right now is hammering home her advantage among the Corbyn core support. Tonight she focused on Labour’s own internal processes, coming out firmly in favour of ‘open selections’ (seen by some in the PLP as a recipe for mass deselections) that proves she’s not so much the Corbyn candidate as the Momentum candidate.
Advertisement
Long-Bailey has a formidable ground operation around her already and once Unite and the CWU back her, she will get all the office space (for phone banking and more) and logistical help that any candidate needs. The CLP nomination meetings have barely started and most of Starmer’s are from parties that didn’t nominate Corbyn. Next Thursday and the following Thursday will see scores of them in play, and Long-Bailey’s support may spike. Crucially, her team think Nandy’s second preferences are more likely to go to her than Starmer.
As for Jess Phillips, her candidacy proved why party leadership contests are so important as the nearest thing the UK gets to ‘primaries’. Theresa May famously never had to battle it out with her rivals for rank and file votes in 2017 and was never tested as a result. Phillips’s brief encounter with this process showed that you really need not just ‘bold’ charisma and bottle (she had both) but the hard graft too of organisation and policy.
The great irony of her campaign was that she suffered from exactly the same faults that she often accused Corbyn of: lots of strident opposition (to Corbynism as much as to Johnsonism) but few credible, thought-out solutions. Phillips was admirably honest about her own failings, and may yet get a shadow cabinet post that lets her develop as a frontline politician rather than a star of the backbenches.
Phillips won’t get to find out if the 105,000 surge in party membership really is made up of centrists longing for a real break with the Corbyn personnel and record. Starmer is now well placed to pick up that kind of support, if Nandy fails to break through to the wider public consciousness. If she does get more profile, however, those members may realise she’s now the only candidate who was not part of the Corbyn project or shadow cabinet of 2019. She’s also ‘the only non-lawyer left in the race’, one ally jokes.
Can a fresh-face, clean-break candidate win this contest? The odds are still against her on that. With Phillips out of the race, Nandy is the ‘change-or-die’ candidate (those were her words to the PLP). A Labour party that prides itself on its radicalism about the world may end up being pretty conservative about its own leadership, preferring the evolutionary approach of Starmer or Long-Bailey to the potential revolution of Nandyism.
Advertisement
Channel 4 has its own Labour hustings on February 17, five days before the ballot opens. The TV programme (featuring genuine debate and more than 40 second replies) may reach more party members than any of its own official livestreamed events with relatively tiny audiences. For Nandy it could be the last roll of the dice. But after today, at least she’s in the game.
Quote Of The Day
“They might need to speak to the police to ensure they’re safe on the day”.
Durham Miners’ Association president Alan Mardghum on new Northern Tory MPs thinking of attending his event
Tuesday Cheat Sheet
Unemployment has hit a 45-year low as the so-called ‘jobs miracle’ of the Tories continues (though what kind of jobs and on what wages is for many the key issue). Record numbers of women in work propelled employment to a new high too.
Donald Trump appeared at Davos. While he didn’t name Greta Thunberg, he attacked the “prophets of doom” on global warming. He was, he claimed, a “big believer in the environment”.
Boris Johnson was defeated twice again in the House of Lords on the Brexit bill, including Lord Dubs’ reinsertion of protections for unaccompanied child refugees.
Advertisement
What I’m Reading
Got A Tip?
Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
Subscribe To Commons People


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Meghan And Harry Issue Legal Warning To UK Media Over Paparazzi Photos

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a legal warning to the UK media after paparazzi shots of the duchess walking her dogs with baby Archie in Canada were published by various outlets.
The images of Meghan emerged on Monday morning and showed her walking her two pets with her son in a baby sling in a park in Vancouver.
Advertisement
But the pictures were reportedly taken by photographers hiding in bushes with long-lens cameras.
After the images surfaced, the couple’s team of lawyers at Schillings sent a legal notice to the UK press, TV and photo agencies warning against using them.
The pictures appeared on the front page of the The Sun newspaper as well as digital outlets such as MailOnline.
Prince Harry rejoined his wife in Canada on Monday evening after hashing out the new arrangement for the two of them with other senior members of the royal family.
He had not seen his wife or his young son for 10 days during the talks.
The letter from the law firm said: “There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose.”
Advertisement
Harry and Meghan will no longer use "royal highness" titles and will not receive public money for their royal duties. zz/KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx
Harry has repeatedly compared the treatment of his wife at the hands of the press to that of his mother who was killed in a car crash in Paris while being chased by the paparazzi in 1997.
On Sunday evening, at an event for his Africa-based youth mental health charity Sentebale, he described the media as “a powerful force” in a speech.
He said: “I was born into this life, and it is a great honour to serve my country and the Queen.
“When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing.
“You’ve looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us.
“It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service.”
Following the talks to renegotiate the Sussexes’ relationship with the royal family, the Queen said she was “pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Ian Lavery Says Keir Starmer Should 'Stand Aside' For A Female Labour Leader

The Labour Party chairman, who is backing the so-called ‘continuity Corbyn’ candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey in the race for the party’s top job, also demanded the shadow Brexit secretary “stand aside” to make way for a female leader.
Speaking at a rally in east London where Long-Bailey was drumming up support, Lavery said: “We need a female leader of the Labour Party. 120 years in existence and we still haven’t had one female leader of this party.
“Stand aside, Keir. Understand your place.”
Lavery, who himself briefly considered a tilt at the leadership, later claimed, in an interview with HuffPost UK, that the comments were ”tongue in cheek”, but added: “We have four women and a man (in the race for Labour leader). All I would say is that there is a clamour, and rightly so, to have a female leader.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Rebecca Long-Bailey Backs Open Reselections For MPs In Bid To Woo Labour Grassroots

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Would-be Labour leader Rebecca Long-Bailey has backed a controversial plan to force selection battles on sitting MPs before every general election.
The frontrunner in the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn claims open selections, also known as mandatory selections, will “open the door to a new generation of MPs and candidates”.
Advertisement
A key demand of the campaign group Momentum, open selections guarantee local party members a regular vote on who is the Labour parliamentary candidate. It could mean sitting MPs are ousted between elections.
The move will be popular with some members, many of whom are angry that their MPs rebelled against Corbyn in recent years.
But it will dismay others who crave an end to the factional infighting that has dogged the party in recent years.
Shadow business secretary Long-Bailey, whose main competition for the top job is shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer and campaigning Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, will make the announcement in east London.
Advertisement
She will say open selections will see the party “break out of the bunker and become the democratic, open party we’ve always aspired to be”.
“We need to rip up our outdated rule book that has held back our members for too long and throw open the door to a new generation of MPs and candidates,” she will say.
Labour leadership hopeful, Rebecca Long-Bailey OLI SCARFF via Getty Images
“Being an MP or elected representative is a privilege that must be earned, and I want to open the discussion now on how our candidates should be selected, how we nurture and bring through talent in our movement, whilst recognising and valuing the experience of sitting MPs.
“We all know that person. That talented, selfless and hardworking person who’d make a brilliant MP but would never dream of putting themselves forward. It’s those people I want to raise up.”
Advertisement
When open selections were suggested under Corbyn’s leadership, Labour struck upon a compromise known as trigger ballots. This meant local Labour parties had the option of a vote on whether their candidate should face a selection battle in the first place.
Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, who successfully avoided being “triggered” before the last election, told HuffPost UK: “Members want to change the world, not the candidate who won the last election.
“Wasting any more time on longer, deeper introspection and infighting is unattractive to voters and would keep Labour out of government.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Greta Thunberg In Fresh War Of Words With Donald Trump At Davos

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Greta Thunberg has blasted global elites for not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency as the teenage activist told the World Economic Forum in Davos: “Our house is still on fire.”
The 17-year-old has become a figurehead for a global climate movement and her appearance on a panel in the Swiss ski resort was a sign of her growing influence on the world’s powerbrokers.
Advertisement
In her address to politicians, NGO leaders and business leaders, Thunberg did not hold back as she told them “your inaction is fuelling the flames by the hour”.
Here are five takeaways from her day in Davos.
1. ‘Planting trees is nowhere near enough’
In the most striking section of her speech, Thunberg said planting trees was not enough to address climate change.
The comment was a thinly-veiled rebuke to a pledge made in Davos by US president Donald Trump, less than an hour earlier, that the US would join an existing initiative to plant one trillion trees.
Thunberg responded by referring to “empty words and promises” by world leaders.
She said: “We are not telling you to keep talking about reaching ‘net zero emissions’ or ‘carbon neutrality’ by cheating and fiddling around with numbers.
Advertisement
“We are not telling you to ‘offset your emissions’ by just paying someone else to plant trees in places like Africa while at the same time forests like the Amazon are being slaughtered at an infinitely higher rate.
“Planting trees is good, of course, but it’s nowhere near enough of what is needed and it cannot replace real mitigation and rewilding nature.”
2. Young activists attended Davos
Three other young climate activists also spoke at the same panel as they said they hoped their generation had found its voice.
The combined age of the panel, which included water, electricity and health activists from Zambia, Puerto Rico and Canada, was 64 – younger than many of those in the audience.
Joining Thunberg among “change-makers” at Davos was Naomi Wadler, a 13-year-old anti-gun campaigner from the United States.
Advertisement
Wearing Doc Martens boots and chequered trousers, Wadler said she hoped to inspire as well as be inspired.
“I think it’s so great that we’re all invited [...] because this is something that hasn’t been done before,” Wadler, the youngest of the youth activists, told Reuters.
“The forum used to be made up of a lot of old, rich white men and so I think it’s really cool that we have so many people of colour.”
Among 10 “change-makers” profiled by the World Economic Forum on its website were Mohamad Al Jounde, 18, a Syrian education campaigner; Autumn Peltier, a 15-year-old Canadian who focuses on water resources; and Ayakha Melithafa, a 17-year-old environmentalist from South Africa.
3. Thunberg demands immediate end to fossil fuel investments
Thunberg said those in the audience would see the demand as “naive”, but she said she and the children who support her were actually seeking the “bare minimum” necessary by calling for an end to all fossil fuel investment “now”.
Advertisement
She said: “We demand, at this year’s World Economic Forum, participants from all companies, banks, institutions and governments: immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction.
“Immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies. And immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.
“We don’t want these things done by 2050, 2030 or even 2021. We want this done now.”
4. From activist to participant
For Thunberg, now a familiar face globally, her unforgiving speech marked the transition from campaigner to participant.
A year ago she was leading protests at Davos as well as speaking, warning the world that “the house is on fire” – a phrase she repeated on Tuesday.
This year, she was taking part in several high-profile panels, including delivering her speech shortly after Trump gave his keynote speech.
Greta Thunberg poses for media in Davis last year. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
5. Trump hits back
Thunberg has inspired millions to take action on climate change. A video of her giving Trump what media described as a “death stare” at a UN climate summit in New York in September went viral on social media.
She clearly still gets under the skin of the leader of the free world. In his speech, Trump branded climate activists “the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers” as he claimed fears about overpopulation in the 1960s and the “end of oil” in the 1990s failed to come true.
Trump dismissed “perennial prophets of doom” on climate change in his address. While he did not directly name Thunberg, she was sitting in the audience for his speech.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--I’m A Mental Health Nurse. This Is What It’s Like On The Frontline Of Our Strained Services

Courtesy of Channel 4 HuffPost UK
No two days are ever the same in my job. I meet people from all walks of life but they have one thing in common – they really need help. Whether they have ended up in A&E having tried to take their own lives or we’ve been contacted by their families who recognise that their loved ones are struggling, our job is to assess what they need and put together a treatment plan.
I work at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust in a team of 15 which includes nurses, a psychiatrist, practitioners with social care backgrounds and admin support. I’ve been doing my job for 20 years. I used to foster children with challenging behaviours but when I started my training as a nurse it was too difficult to combine the two. Once qualified I worked in adult services and then the opportunity to join the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team came up.
Advertisement
In July last year we began working with a TV company and allowed the cameras to follow us in our day-to-day work. We wanted to make the programme as we felt it was a way to take away any stigma or taboo about mental health. I think this is an opportunity to show it is nothing to be ashamed of and that talking about it is often the first step to getting help. The series, which starts on Tuesday 21 January on Channel 4, gives an accurate picture of the difficult decisions we make on a day-to-day basis.
These include thinking about the risks and management for every individual. Does the young person need an inpatient admission or can they be treated intensively in the community within their own environment? We always take into account the least restrictive options in terms of supporting young people and their families and find that it is often more appropriate to work with them whilst they remain at home, with their families and friends around to support them in managing their own recovery.
“In the opening moments of the programme I can be seen telling a patient: 'Your goal is to kill yourself; my job is to keep you alive.'”
We also support the family – they can feel alone in their distress and that something will only be done when they’re at crisis point. They often tell us that they have been asking for help for a long time before they hit our service. In the opening moments of the programme I can be seen telling a patient: “Your goal is to kill yourself; my job is to keep you alive.”
Advertisement
The number of young people suffering with emotional distress due to the demands being placed upon them is increasing and services need to evolve to meet those needs. Youngsters are more aware of their mental health than ever before, and social media plays a massive part in this.
Sure Start Centres and school nurses have been axed and kids are under pressure to do well at school. I would really like to see children’s emotional health needs met – not just academic targets. Bullying is also a massive problem. To that end, we have recently set up a team of trailblazers who are going into schools in our area to talk to youngsters about how to look after themselves and be kind to each other.
As well as emotional distress we also work with young people who may have eating disorders, problems with their mood, or use drugs and alcohol in order to attempt to self-manage difficulties. They struggle to tolerate distress and a lot of what we do is to help teach young people how to become more resilient in managing life’s curveballs.
The CAMHS Crisis Team and Liaison service has seen an increase in referrals of young people who are self-harming, having suicidal thoughts sometimes with plans and intent to take their own lives, and there is a growing sense within society of romanticising self-harm. This extends worryingly to online forums and social media platforms, where sadly young people find common ground with their peers and a culture self-harm is fostered.
We’ve always had teenagers with low mood but I think nowadays there are more who are acting out on the self-harm thoughts, more teenagers taking their own lives and I think there’s a lot more young people that actually know somebody who self-harms. One of the questions in the assessment forms is about ‘when did you first get the idea to self-harm?’ And very often you get an answer along the lines of “my friend does it”.
Advertisement
“We alone have seen nearly 5,000 more adults a year being referred to mental health services in Nottinghamshire than ten years ago”
Social connectivity or the lack of it in our modern era has really changed the landscape of how young people cope, understand and manage their emotions and how they develop their identity. Interpersonal effectiveness has, in my view, been hampered by social media, virtual friends and an immediate need for gratification.
We alone have seen nearly 5,000 more adults a year being referred to mental health services in Nottinghamshire than ten years ago, and last year saw a 67% rise in young people self-harming. But our budgets have barely risen leading to resources being strained more than ever before.
I hope that this documentary showcases the great work that dedicated staff working within the NHS do. I also hope it shows more work is needed to ensure these services continue to be funded sufficiently. I’m proud of my trust, the NHS, the people I work with, but most importantly I’m proud and privileged that young people and families allow our team into their lives at the most distressing and vulnerable time and trust us to support them until they no longer need us.
Steph Langley is a child and adolescent mental health nurse, and features in Losing It: Our Mental Health Emergency, which starts on Tuesday 21 January at 10pm on Channel 4
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-21--Love Island's Paige Faces Controversy Over Homophobic Slur In Instagram Post

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Love Island contestant Paige Turley is facing controversy for using a homophobic slur in a post on her Instagram Story.
The 22-year-old singer referred to her brother as a “Harry Hoofter” in a video she posted in June, which was discovered by MailOnline.
Advertisement
Love Island's Paige Turley ITV
The post remained in a section of her “Story Highlights”, and showed her brother Marc above the caption: “Uuuuuft who’s that big Harry hoofter on the cocktails??”.
Paige also added a rainbow flag, symbolising LGBTQ pride, to the post.
The phrase “Harry Hoofter” is a derogatory term used to describe a gay man.
Strange Paige Turley is being allowed on love island when she has homophobic stories on her highlights on insta. Any explanation for this @itv2 #loveisland #LoveIsland2020 pic.twitter.com/8naSSVlM5n — Hithere (@Hithere90223467) January 12, 2020
The post has now been pulled from Paige’s Instagram page.
A source close to Paige has defended the reality star, telling HuffPost UK: “This was a silly joke between brother and sister and Paige would be mortified to hear she has in anyway offended anyone.”
Advertisement
HuffPost UK has also contacted an ITV spokesperson for comment.
Paige has been at the centre of a number of stories in the press since she was announced for the ITV2 reality show earlier this month, mostly about her past relationship with Lewis Capaldi.
Paige used to date Lewis Capaldi Matt Jelonek via Getty Images
While the pair broke up a number of years ago after dating as teens, Paige admitted she was hoping for his support in the villa.
The Brit Award-nominated singer later broke his silence on his ex-girlfriend’s participation on the show, joking he was hoping for a cut of her £50,000 prize, should she win.
He added: “She never told me she was going on it. It would have been a nice heads up! But, I mean, fair play, good luck to her.”
Advertisement
Paige is currently coupled up with semi-professional footballer Finley Tapp in the villa.