thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--I Don’t Want To Go Back To ‘Normal’ After The Covid Vaccine

A nurse prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on December 8, 2020 as Britain starts is biggest ever vaccination programm JEFF J MITCHELL via Getty Images
With news of the first vaccine being rolled out, I celebrated with everyone else at the idea the nightmare of the pandemic would soon be over.
But my excitement quickly gave way to anxiety, as I realised this could usher in my old way of life, a life I don’t particularly want to return to.
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We might look back on the time before lockdown with rose-tinted glasses, but, the truth is, life then had its own problems that many of us were freed from when covid-19 hit.
Still, some seem keen to distance themselves from this “new normal” – but should we really be so quick to dismiss the lives we built for ourselves in lockdown?
No matter how many jokes we make at the expense of those who baked extravagant amounts of banana bread during lockdown, maybe they had the right idea. We were given so much time this year to explore new things, so why not bring some of that along with us in 2021?
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Throughout 2020, we’ve seen dramatic increases in big life changes across the UK. Searches for getting a divorce were up 25% this year, according to Citizens Advice. Part of that might be because being cooped up with just your spouse for company isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But another side of it is that we are finally seeing what’s really important to us in life. For some, the answers might be surprising.
There’s also been a mass exodus of people moving out of London. The number of people looking for jobs outside of the capital has doubled in the wake of the pandemic, according to careers advisory service Escape the City.
Switching locations, switching jobs, switching lifestyles: all of this indicates that 2020, if nothing else, has sparked a wave of dramatic decisions that will change our lives long after the pandemic. And that can’t be a bad thing.
Having dramatic change thrust upon us in the form of a national lockdown may not have been on everyone’s wish list last Christmas, but at least Covid has given us the time and the opportunity to take stock of our lives.
If you’ve found yourself enjoying the weekday evenings free from work drink obligations, embrace that. If having to work without the camaraderie of your mates around you has made you realise that your career is not for you, go out and change it. It’s never too late to go out and seize what you actually want from life. Covid-19 has proved that life really can be too short, so why waste another second of it doing something that doesn’t fulfil you?
The big distinction between life before Covid and life after is that now I think we have a choice. We know that the world went on turning when we didn’t spend our time doing what everyone else was doing.
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Moving forward, I want to hold onto that mentality. When I choose to book a trip, change my career, or even take up a new hobby, I’m going to do it because I want to, not because I just saw five people on Instagram share their own filtered version of it.
With life changing so drastically throughout 2020, we will all have discovered something about ourselves and how we lived our lives in the “before”. Even if that’s just how much you loved your life, it’s been a huge learning experience for everyone. But I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of if there are some parts of your life that you don’t want to return to. In fact, it’s crucial that we resist the urge to welcome them back in. Covid has given us an opportunity for a clean slate, we must embrace it.
For me at least, I’m planning to spend the (hopefully) last few months of lockdown thinking about how I can bring some of the good parts of 2020 along with me into 2021 – because there have been some. Being forced to slow down and look inwards was exactly what I needed.
As much as there was a lot that I missed from “normal” life during lockdown, there’s also a whole lot more that I won’t be sad to see the back of.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Millwall Say Players Will Stand 'Arm-In-Arm' Rather Than Taking The Knee Before Matches

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Millwall have said their players will stand “arm-in-arm” rather than taking the knee before the club’s match against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.
It comes after the team was booed by some Millwall fans for taking the knee – a symbol of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement – at the start of the game against Derby County on Saturday.
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In a statement on Monday night, the south-east London club said players would “stand arm-in-arm” with members of the QPR team “in a show of solidarity for football’s fight against discrimination”.
The two teams will also hold up a banner “showing their collective commitment towards ongoing efforts to rid the game of racism”, Millwall said. The move has been supported by Kick It Out, Show Racism The Red Card, the FA, the EFL and the PFA.
The club said: “Millwall believe that this gesture, which the club hopes to repeat with other visiting teams in the coming weeks and months, will help to unify people throughout society in the battle to root out all forms of discrimination.”
The logo of anti-discrimination group Kick It Out will replace that of Millwall’s usual sponsor on the team’s kit for the match against QPR.
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Fans arriving at the stadium before the Sky Bet Championship match at The Den, London. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images) John Walton - PA Images via Getty Images
The club added: “Millwall have a zero-tolerance policy against racial and all other forms of discrimination and want to again make clear to anybody who holds such views that you are not welcome at this football club. Millwall’s stance, as always, is that anybody found guilty of racial abuse is banned for life.”
Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said it supported the move by Millwall, adding that players would still be able to take the knee if they wanted to.
Ryan Woods of Millwall kneeling for Black Lives Matter during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Derby County at The Den on December 05, 2020 Jacques Feeney via Getty Images
The organisation’s head of development Troy Townsend said: “We support Millwall’s players and staff in their continued desire to show their commitment to racial equality.
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“Having spoken to the club yesterday we have clarified that the players were heard and are comfortable with the suggested gesture that will take place tonight ahead of tonight’s game, but also that if any player still wanted to take the knee they could do so with the full backing of the club.”
An update from Troy Townsend ahead of the Millwall vs QPR game this evening 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/zoAsS6iLjL — Kick It Out (@kickitout) December 8, 2020
QPR said that it supported the move to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Millwall players, saying it would be a “powerful response”.
The club’s chairman also confirmed the some members of the QPR would take the knee before Tuesday night’s match. Millwall has “firmly” asked its fans to respect this move.
Players at Premier League and English Football League games have been taking the knee before the start of matches since football returned in June to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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The booing by Millwall fans on Saturday took place at the first game at The Den to welcome fans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Millwall Supporters’ Club insisted that the “motives of those behind the booing were not racist” – but that the fans involved were instead opposed to the politics of the BLM organisation. The FA is investigating the incident.
According to The Athletic, the same group of Millwall fans who were in attendance against the club’s match on Saturday also have tickets to the match against QPR.
While Millwall said it was “dismayed and saddened” by the actions of fans who booed over the weekend, some have accused the club of pandering to those who booed by distancing itself from taking the knee.
what a remarkable, horrible case study in the fomentation of racism. a peaceful anti-racist action has been stopped to respect the wishes of those who reject anti-racism, aided and abetted by a huge section of the press who've cynically designated them the 'real anti-racists' https://t.co/EyTME7Z4uU — Stan Account (@tristandross) December 8, 2020
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Some have compared Millwall’s response to that of Colchester United. Some of the club’s fans booed when players took the knee ahead of Colchester’s match against Grimsby Town on Saturday.
In a statement, Colchester chairman Robbie Cowling explained the significance of taking the knee – and told fans who did not support the symbol to “stay away from our club”.
“Maybe those that booed on Saturday might now understand what this gesture means to our club and will at the very least remain silent during future games whilst the players continue to take the knee before each kick-off,” he said.
“Alternatively, they should just stay away from our club because anyone that still wants to boo now that I have explained the purpose and importance of the taking of the knee is not welcome at our club.”
He said that fans should applaud players while they were taking the knee.
The FA has also launched a probe into the booing at Colchester’s JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Boris Johnson Appears To Rebuke Nicola Sturgeon As He Backs Kate And William Over Train Tour

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Boris Johnson made an apparent dig at Nicola Sturgeon after she seemed to suggest Prince William and Kate Middleton had broken Covid rules with a train tour to Scotland.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Cardiff on Tuesday for the final leg of a three-day trip to meet NHS staff, voluntary workers and others who have been helping combat coronavirus across the UK.
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But under current Scottish regulations, it is illegal to travel between England and Scotland without a reasonable excuse and Sturgeon questioned on Monday whether the tour was necessary.
“The Scottish government was advised about the intention to visit, and we made sure that the royal household were aware, as you would expect, of the restrictions in place in Scotland so that could inform both the decision and the planning of the visit,” the first minister had said.
After initially saying the Cambridges’ tour was a “matter for the palace”, No.10 issued a new statement saying Johnson welcomed the “morale boost” it would provide.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “The PM is delighted to see the warm reception the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have received on their hugely valuable train tour of England, Scotland and Wales.
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“The tour will be a welcome morale boost to frontline workers who have done so much during the pandemic.
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It is understood that the Cambridges believed their trip to Edinburgh complied with the Covid regulations because their journey was “work-related” rather than a social trip.
The Welsh government had also raised its own concerns about the royal trip and Covid rules.
Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething told the BBC: “I’d rather that no one was having unnecessary visits and people always have divisive views about the monarchy, but their visit isn’t an excuse for people to say that they are confused about what they are being asked to do.”
The royal train tour has seen the couple visit a FareShare community food programme in Manchester that has been supported by footballer Marcus Rashford.
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In a meeting with students in Cardiff, William admitted that his own family’s plans for Christmas were still up in the air.
“It is so difficult. We are still trying to make plans. It’s difficult to know what to do for the best.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Matt Hancock 'Pretends To Cry' Over Covid Vaccine, Sparking Pandemic Of Cringing

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Matt Hancock on Tuesday reacted to footage of the first people in the UK receiving the coronavirus vaccine by apparently trying to cry on live TV and then giving up and laughing instead.
The health secretary was appearing on Good Morning Britain alongside Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid.
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A sceptical-looking Morgan jiggled his pen as Hancock snuffled and snorted his way through the bizarre reaction to witnessing 81-year-old William Shakespeare (yes, really) receiving the jab.
Shakespeare, an in-patient at University Hospital Coventry, was the second person to have the injection after 90-year-old Margaret Keenan.
Matt Hancock pretending to cry based on diagrams he saw in a book pic.twitter.com/XUMHQjeMHr — James Felton (@JimMFelton) December 8, 2020
Matt Hancock forgot the golden rule of pretending to cry on national television, which is to produce at least one discernible tear pic.twitter.com/NQZSNj9M2H — TheIainDuncanSmiths (@TheIDSmiths) December 8, 2020
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Shakespeare said he was “pleased” to receive the jab, adding: “I need to say, the staff at this hospital are wonderful.”
Hancock spluttered weirdly: “It’s been such a tough year for so many people. And there’s William Shakespeare putting it so simply that we can get on with our lives. I’ve still got this worry. We can’t blow it now, Piers – we’ve still got to get the vaccine to millions of people and so we’ve got to keep sticking by the rules.”
Despite this being a rollout of a vaccine that was not engineered by British scientists, Hancock then added: “There’s so much work that’s gone into this and it makes me proud to be British.”
Hancock’s outburst has seen him compared to a malfunctioning android, Mark Zuckerberg and, er, American Psycho Patrick Bateman.
One person simply remarked: “This is North Korea level weird.”
He's like the UK version of Zuckerberg. pic.twitter.com/pL1yx1cEk1 — Theo Priestley (@tprstly) December 8, 2020
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"When psychopaths cry, Glass says they will often wipe underneath each eye, one at a time. "When people cry genuine tears they cry with both eyes, and so they will tend to wipe both eyes at once." https://t.co/aqni4OegiH — Tomcat Tobi (@TobiTomcat) December 8, 2020
This is North Korea level weird. — Bill Burke (@will_de_burgh) December 8, 2020
"What a terrific performance from Matt Hancock" pic.twitter.com/uX3tV4byXy — Hunter Godson (@HunterGodson) December 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--One Moment Please, Caller! Don’t Book A Covid Vaccine By Phone

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With the coronavirus vaccine now available in the UK, those in clinically vulnerable groups may want to access it as soon as possible.
When the priority list was announced by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), those at the front of the line were told they would be contacted in due course.
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But some people seem to have skipped a step, by contacting hospitals directly and booking themselves in for a jab – something the NHS advises against.
Grandfather Martin Kenyon, 91, gained an audience around the world on Tuesday after giving an amusing interview to a journalist outside Guy’s Hospital in London.
Kenyon became one of the first people in the world to have the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine outside of a trial – and said he accessed it via a simple phone call. “I rang up Guy’s Hospital, which I know very well because I have lived in London most of my adult life, and I said: ‘What’s this thing, you’re doing the vaccination?’”
After asking him a series of “not very interesting” questions, the hospital told him he could come in for his jab that day.
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“They said: ‘Well, come at half past 12,’” he explained. “Of course, I couldn’t damn well find anywhere to park my car, so I was late.”
CNN Martin Kenyon with the CNN journalist.
Another Londoner, a 40-year-old who wished to remain anonymous, told HuffPost UK he secured an appointment to have the vaccine on Wednesday, after calling up his local hospital in London on Tuesday.
The man has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – which makes him extremely clinically vulnerable to Covid-19 – and has been shielding alone since March. But he was surprised when phone operators only asked “four or five simple questions” before booking him in.
“It was odd, they didn’t ask about any illnesses, but I’m not complaining,” he says. “It’s quite a relief to be honest. I’m still worried I can still get it and pass it around, but the symptoms won’t kill me at least.”
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At this time, the NHS is only officially offering the vaccine to people who work in care homes, high risk health workers and “some people aged 80 and over who already have a hospital appointment in the next few weeks”.
It’s unclear whether Kenyon belongs to the latter group and if he was due to visit the hospital soon anyway. But the NHS has asked people not to follow his lead and call for appointments.
NHS England confirmed to HuffPost UK that people should wait to be contacted to receive a vaccine and shouldn’t call up to request one.
The vaccine is initially being offered in 50 hospital hubs across England. Prioritised groups will be called upon to take the vaccine either from their GP or hospital via a letter from the NHS or their local health board, the NHS confirmed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Avonmouth Explosion: First Pictures Of Four Men Killed In Wessex Water Blast

Luke Wheaton, Ray White, Brian Vickery and Mike James Avon and Somerset Police
Police have released photos of the four people killed after an explosion at a waste water treatment site near Bristol last week.
Tributes were paid by the families of Luke Wheaton, 16, of Bradley Stoke; Ray White, 57, of Portishead; Brian Vickery, 63, of Clevedon; and Mike James, 64, of Bath.
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Wheaton’s parents said he was “the most gorgeous, loving, happy, talented, perfect son” and who had “everything to look forward to in life”.
“Luke knows how much he is loved and will be dearly missed by everyone. We just wish we could bring him back. Always in our hearts and thoughts – life will never be the same again,” they said.
White was described as a “wonderful” son, brother and father to two sons who “will be deeply missed by all who knew him”.
Vickery’s family said he “brightened everyone’s lives with his cheeky and wicked sense of humour” and said they felt “blessed to have had him in our lives”.
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James’ family also said he “will be missed”.
They were killed when a chemical tank exploded at Wessex Water’s Bristol water recycling centre on December 3.
The blast happened in a silo that held treated biosolids before they are recycled to land as an organic soil conditioner.
It is thought that James was a contractor working at the site, while Vickery and White were employees of Wessex Water. Wheaton was an apprentice at the firm.
Wessex Water has said it is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to investigate the cause of the explosion.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--School Refused To Let Kids Learn At Home Even Though Covid Could Kill Their Mum

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A mother with an auto-immune condition and a brain aneurysm was told her kids couldn’t be schooled at home – even though she could die if one of them brings Covid home.
Julie Bishop’s daughters were denied home learning packs and Bishop was allegedly told she could be fined for taking them out of school despite a GP backing her case.
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The girls used to attend Stourfield Junior School in Bournemouth, which is under tier 2 restrictions, but last month she took the drastic step of deregistering them both after the row came to a head.
Bishop is particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 because any coughing could cause inter-cranial pressure, prompting a fatal brain bleed.
A note from her GP confirming these conditions and asking for support in the supply of home learning packs “until the risks from Covid decrease” has been seen by HuffPost UK.
She is one of several families who say schools are not managing the spread of the virus and are calling for more help for clinically vulnerable parents.
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Schools have had to turn to online teaching in some cases during the pandemic (file picture) Tanaonte via Getty Images
Bishop claims a representative of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council told her she risked being be fined, prosecuted and even having her children taken into care if she kept them off school.
As a result she felt she had no other option other than to deregister her children from the school altogether, which carries no penalty – but leaves their education entirely in her hands.
A BCP Council spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “Whilst we cannot comment in detail on individual cases, council officers continue to work closely with the school and family to ensure the children have access to an appropriate education offer.” The school did not reply to requests for comment.
Bishop has spent £200 turning her living room into a classroom, equipped with desks, a projector, anatomical models and wall-mounted times tables.
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She told HuffPost UK: “It’s only now that I’m home schooling that I’ve realised how behind they were. They didn’t know their times-tables. They didn’t know what nouns or pronouns were. My 10-year-old didn’t even know how to read the time – she could only read it digitally. She is meant to be going up to secondary school next September – it’s absolutely shocking.
“I’m just going to carry on teaching the kids. They’re under no school now. I don’t know what’s going to happen this year with Covid but it’s going to be a nightmare to get them back in. All I wanted was for them to send home a few pieces of work. When children are told to self-isolate for two weeks they do it then.
“I was told: ‘If we do it for you, we’ll have to do it for lots of parents’ – but they know how ill I am.”
Bishop says the school has previously been supportive of her health struggles and has even praised her in the past for her children’s 100% attendance during those crises. And she says it has made efforts to manage the spread of the virus on school grounds by staggering drop off and collection times and forming classroom bubbles, but that the risk still remains too great for her.
She said: “I’ve got a bleeding condition, which means if I was to have a rupture of my brain aneurysm, I would just bleed out. I wouldn’t even get to hospital on time, and it’s only over the road.
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“I’m a single parent and if something were to happen to me, my girls would have to go into care. They can’t go to their father’s. They’ve got no one but me.”
“If I was to have a rupture of my brain aneurysm, I would just bleed out. I wouldn’t even get to hospital on time, and it’s only over the road” - Julie Bishop
National government guidance issued just before the second lockdown was lifted states: “It continues to be the aim that all pupils, in all year groups, remain in school full-time throughout the autumn term.”
It adds: “Returning to school is vital for children’s education and for their well-being. Time out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children.”
“Lower academic achievement also translates into long-term economic costs due to having a less qualified workforce. [...] While it is not possible to ensure a totally-risk free environment, there is no evidence that children transit the disease any more than adults.”
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You have the right to educate your child from home, though you must formally de-register them from their school. You must make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of five, but you do not need to follow the national curriculum.
A recent survey of local authorities suggests there are now more than 75,000 children being home-schooled – a 38% increase since last year. An Ofsted report into the matter remarked: “It appears many parents have removed their children because of their fears about Covid, rather than a genuine desire to home school.”
Bishop is being supported by campaigning group Parents United Against Unsafe Schools. A spokesperson for the group told HuffPost UK: “Safety for clinically vulnerable children and family members has been totally disregarded by the government’s decision to reintroduce compulsory school attendance from September.
75,000+ children are being home-schooled
“Many schools are refusing to provide home learning support to children who need to work from home, and absences for these children cannot be authorised even where medical evidence is supplied. Parents’ concerns about large numbers of children in poorly ventilated classrooms during an airborne pandemic are being totally dismissed, and their mental health is being called into question for raising such concerns.
“Local authorities are subjecting families to attendance fines and prosecution, forcing families to accept these penalties or deregister their child from the school.
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“Families who are already dealing with very serious health conditions are being placed in an impossible position, effectively being off-rolled from the education system in a manner tantamount to constructive dismissal. Parents United is campaigning for a sensible, safe and sustainable approach to education for all during the pandemic, including fully resourced home learning and freedom from punitive fines for those need to learn from home.”
Parents says schools are trying to manage social distancing but it's almost impossible to do so (file picture) Phil Noble / Reuters
The group is also backing Angela Moore, who lives in Hampshire, which is currently in tier 2 restrictions, and has also taken her children out of school.
Moore, who is asthmatic, is critical of measures taken by Fairfield Infants School and Bosmere Junior Schools, to try and manage the virus. She says promises to conduct more outdoor learning have failed to materialise, with once-a-week PE class the only outdoor activity occurring.
She told HuffPost UK: “My gut feeling is that the schools are doing the best they can. They are being pushed to get children over the threshold, get the targets and get the figures, but it’s at the cost of lives.
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“The government wants children back at school, parents going back to work and money being put into the economy.”
Moore says despite the school’s efforts to maintain social distancing, children sit “shoulder to shoulder” in classes, one of her daughters has been hugged by another student and in one incident, spit droplets from a teacher speaking in close proximity landed on her daughter.
She and her husband both work from home and are home-schooling their daughters, and although they are not receiving school support, she says they are thriving.
“The big drive from the government has been all about mental health. [But] how damaging will it be for a child if they brought Covid home and killed one of their parents?” - Angela Moore
This week, a Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “It is vital for all children to be in school where possible. The chief medical officer has highlighted the damage caused to children’s education, development and mental health from not being in school.
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“Children are at very low risk from the virus, with only 0.2% of state-funded pupils who were absent from school last week having a confirmed case.
“Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked hard to remain open, implementing safety measures and scaling up remote education provision for those children who are self-isolating.”
It comes after the latest attendance figures from the DfE showed that between 7% and 8% of state school pupils – up to 650,000 children – did not attend school for Covid-19-related reasons on Thursday last week.
More than a quarter (28%) of schools reported having one or more pupils self-isolating after being told to do so due to potential contact with a Covid-19 case inside the school on December 3, though that was down from 33% the week before.
Nearly a fifth (19%) of secondary school pupils were absent from class on December 3, down from 22%, the figures revealed.
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Moore said: “The big drive from the government has been all about mental health. My argument there will be: ‘How damaging will it be for a child to their mental health if they brought Covid home and killed one of their parents?’ I know that seems to some quite drastic, but that to me is the reality.”
Moore fears she too will be pushed to deregister her children amid the threat of fines for unauthorised absences.
The school has not responded to requests for comment.
This week one teacher’s union came forward to suggest schools should be given the flexibility to switch to remote learning for the final few days of term.
It comes as schools were warned to see a “steep drop” in the number of pupils attending class next week as parents seek to prioritise family safety ahead of Christmas, the headteachers’ union NAHT said.
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said remote learning was an “obvious and straightforward solution”.
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Whiteman said: “It is only natural that many parents will prioritise family safety over attending school in the last few days of term and keep their children at home.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Chris Whitty 'Very Nervous' About Third Wave Of Coronavirus In New Year

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England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty has revealed he is “very nervous” about a possible third wave of coronavirus in the New Year.
In evidence to MPs on Wednesday, he urged the public to stick with current social distancing and restrictions but warned it would be “disastrous” to abandon them until the spring.
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Whitty said that even with the rollout of vaccines, there would probably only be a “gradual retreat” from current tight public health curbs, suggesting it may be next summer until life will return to a semblance of normal for many people.
Chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said the timing of when to relax restrictions would be “a science-informed political decision”, adding the virus would still be in circulation even once the most vulnerable were vaccinated.
Fears that there may have to be a third national lockdown after Christmas have been heightened in recent days, amid worries that relaxation for the festive period could add to rising cases seen in London and the south east.
The warnings came as figures released on Wednesday show another 533 people were reported to have died after testing positive for Covid-19. It brings the total number of deaths in the UK to 62,566.
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Meanwhile, another 16,578 coronavirus infections were also reported in the UK.
On Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock also revealed he was concerned about case numbers rising. And in Wales hospitalisations have soared in recent weeks since the end of its “firebreak”.
Appearing before a joint session of the Commons science and health select committees, Whitty stressed just how worried he and other scientists were.
“We’re heading into spring of 2021 in much better shape than we were three or four months ago,” he said.
“The first response is to say, ‘Well that’s it, it’s done.’ That would be disastrous because then [the virus] would come back again incredibly quickly, and we’re all very nervous about January and February, which is the highest risk period for the NHS in particular, March as well.”
Labour MP Zara Sultana asked: “In a few months will we be looking at Christmas like some are looking at the chancellor’s Eat Out To Help Out, saying that this has contributed to a significant rise in transmission and more deaths?”
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Vallance replied: “We’re clear that the increased contacts over Christmas are likely to lead to an increase in numbers. I think it is likely that we will see an increase in numbers.
“The flip side to that is it’s a period when schools aren’t together so there may be a decrease as a result of that, but overall I think you’d expect there to be an increase in numbers.”
Christmas gatherings pose a risk, the scientists warned Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images
Vallance added that the relaxation of the rules from December 23 to 28, which allows “bubbles” from three different households, should be interpreted carefully.
“If you’re going to do ‘three households’, it may just literally mean parents and two children because they are in different households, that’s what it means. It doesn’t mean ‘three great big households’.
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“And I think we need to make sure that where possible we do things outdoors, that we pay attention to things like ventilation in the household, keeping windows open, make sure that we obey the sort of basic rules around hand hygiene, masks and so on where appropriate.”
Whitty added: “I think we should basically view the next three months as a period at risk of which the festive season over Christmas is one of the risks.”
“The natural tendency is always psychologically to think it’s strangers who are the bigger risk. Actually when it comes to infections, it’s your family, it’s your friends, it’s your workmates who are your biggest risk.
“And that’s the group we all have to protect, ourselves from them, them from us, and by protecting ourselves protect others we come into contact with. And people have got to think about that when they think through their actions over the Christmas period.”
Whitty also said that even if 20 million of the UK’s most vulnerable people were vaccinated by the spring, the dangers of the virus would still be real for younger people.
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“If you only were to vaccinate those 20 million people, the numbers are rough but for the sake of argument, you are still going to have a lot of people who are susceptible.
“That will not produce population immunity even if it prevents transmission. So what that will do is substantially reduce mortality, significantly reduce the impact on the NHS, but it will still leave a lot of people who could become ill with this, and could in some cases have serious outcomes.”
Vallance was also at pains to stress that the vaccine progress should not be an excuse for the public to drop their guard.
“The biggest risk we face now is everyone thinks this is all over – and it isn’t all over. We’re a long way off yet knowing how we can move it to the rest of the population, that’s dependent upon things like does the AZ (AstraZeneca/Oxford) vaccine get approved.
“It’s not the time to suddenly say we relax everything and, if that happens, we will have a big surge.”
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Whitty added: “I want to be very clear: for the next three months we will not have sufficient protection. So the idea we can suddenly stop now because the vaccine’s here, would be really premature.
“It’s like someone giving up a marathon race at mile 16, it would be absolutely the wrong thing to do. But there will come a point where the choice about exactly when to start ramping down, how fast and which, needs to be made and that is fundamentally a science-informed political decision.”
Chris Whitty (left) and Sir Patrick Vallance arrive for their hearing PA
The chief medical officer also revealed that with the Moderna vaccine due in the UK in 2021 “we expect, probably by the middle of the year, to have a portfolio of three or four vaccines which we can actually use”.
Both advisers said that the government had a duty to counter misinformation about vaccines, but Whitty said that there was a difference between vaccine-hesitant members of the public and a minority of hardline anti-vaxxers.
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“There is a very small group of people who got very weird views about vaccines. In a sense, they’re not worth worrying about in public communication terms because no one, nothing will persuade them that this is the right thing to do. And that’s their right as competent adults to make those choices.
“There’s a lot of people though who actually have quite legitimate questions of any vaccine and any medical treatment, vaccines are no different to that.” Giving clear information about risk, impact and side effects of vaccines was crucial, he added.
Whitty said that at some point parliament will have to assess what is “appropriate to tolerate” from Covid, before allowing widespread relaxation of restrictions.
“Just as we accept that in an average year 7,000 people die of flu, and in a bad flu year, 20,000 people die of flu. We accept that as that is what happens biologically.
“At a certain point you say, ‘actually, the risk is now low enough that we can largely do away with certainly the most onerous things that we have to deal with’.”
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“This will be a kind of gradual retreat from that, but it is a de-risking process rather than it’s just going to go away.”
With many Tory MPs demanding that Boris Johnson either reduce their local curbs or create smaller tiered areas, Whitty said that was a political decision but made clear there were health risks.
“If you make it too small, you’re asking for trouble because if you have a very small area that’s got low rates surrounded by an area of high rates, we’ve tried that experiment several times and it always ends up the same way, which is the small area with a low rate gets a high rate,” he said.
Vallance added that tougher restrictions were the ones that the public most clearly understood and followed: “We obviously don’t design the tier system, that’s a policy choice, but we try and give behavioural insights into what the impact will be.
“One of the things that ONS (Office for National Statistics) told us recently is that adherence is much greater in tier 3 than it was in lower tiers because people understood things better.”
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In a wide-ranging evidence session on “lessons learned” from the pandemic, Whitty also revealed that the way Black and minority ethnic groups had been let down by the healthcare system was a key lesson.
“One thing which I think we really, really need to look at again is, I don’t think they got our messaging to some of the ethnic minority British groups right early on, and indeed some other smaller groups,” he said.
“We just didn’t actually have a clear campaign in those areas. And I think that is something which we need to look at fairly self-critically and work out how we could do that better next time round.”
He revealed that although the first wave of the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on Black and south Asian communities, the second wave had shown a “very large impact” on Pakistani communities.
Vallance also stressed that the government’s decisions on imposing a 10pm curfew for pubs before lockdown, a decision since amended, was not based on direct scientific evidence.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--The Covid Vaccine Rollout Will Be A Disaster For Doctors Like Me

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As the first ecstatic news reports arrived announcing the arrival of the vaccine we had eagerly been waiting for, we had a distinct feeling of unease.
Once again, we heard uninformed politicians overpromising that the “NHS was on standby to deliver”. Instead of sharing the optimism projected by the media, the knot in our stomachs grew stronger as we listened, thinking to ourselves: “No, we’re not.”
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Each year, general practice rolls out a huge influenza programme. Vaccines are ordered in January and patients get booked in from September onwards, even though they’re unlikely to catch flu until around Christmas at the earliest.
Each surgery has this rehearsed, like a finely oiled machine. Practice managers co-ordinate it, practice nurses deliver it. And herein lies the magic and power of general practice – we know our patients.
This simple fact is not understood by policy makers. We know how to communicate best with our communities. We know this because we have been doing it day in, day out for decades, meaning we know how to organise a flu clinic to result in the highest uptake of a vaccine in our individual population.
“Trust and honest planned communication is vital for a successful vaccine rollout. Without it, any vaccine programme will fail.”
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Therefore, it is aggravating, to have constantly changing, last minute orders from NHS England: “Vaccines must be delivered from 8am til 8pm, 7 days a week,” we are told.
“Practices must work with their networks and will only receive the payment once both vaccines are given,” we are informed. “This vaccine should take priority over routine work.”
We are actively depriving general practice of its autonomy – its magic – the very thing that could make this all work.
The specifications for this rollout have been released to GPs late in the evening, sometimes still containing tracked changes and requiring a response within one to two working days. It gives the impression of chaos at the top, which hardly inspires confidence in a smooth rollout on the ground.
Coordinating a worldwide first of this nature is an unenviable task and we appreciate it is an evolving situation. NHSE needs to recognise, however, that an efficient rollout will not be achieved by keeping GPs in the dark.
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It is unacceptable to release key specifics of the programme to GPs (to enable them to decide if they can participate), while simultaneously running a press narrative that all GP surgeries are ready to go from 14 December. This is simply not true.
GP practices will once again suffer the brunt of poor planning and execution from the department of health and NHSE. At best, we have an extremely difficult logistical task; at worst a recipe for wastage of this precious vaccine, a loss of public confidence and no doubt a huge amount of blame directed towards general practice.
Many GPs have huge reservations around the feasibility of the programme and may not sign up to deliver the vaccine – mainly because the arrangements for their patients are still unclear.
As doctors on the ground, we can tell you this will result in thousands of patients phoning their practices on Monday morning, potentially blocking the lines for other ill patients. Patients will get frustrated and vent to our already fatigued reception staff, but most worryingly, they may lose confidence in the vaccine itself.
Combine this with directives to halt routine work to prioritise the vaccine, and chaos ensues. GPs know that as soon as routine work stops, urgent, unplanned demand rises – manifesting as unmanageable on-calls for doctors and high A&E attendances. It is not a long-term strategy for delivering this vaccine.
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GPs do more than dish out painkillers for arthritic knees. We improve the long-term health of our patients. No one will notice if blood pressures, diabetes and cholesterols are not actively managed for a year or two. However, ignoring them is increasing risk of strokes, heart attacks and possibly cancer. Life expectancy has stalled in our country. If we stop our routine work, deaths will rise from other causes and the nation’s health will suffer.
Now is not the time for a full overhaul of general practice. But what’s making delivering the vaccine harder is the total lack of investment and understanding of what general practice is about. Ask us what we need to make this a success, and then deliver the resources necessary, rather than trying to dictate it centrally.
Given the eye watering sums paid to the private sector to deliver track and trace and the like, I suspect the government will be pleasantly surprised what good value for money primary care can offer.
The decision that those over 80 should be first in line for the vaccine ahead of the staff administering the vaccines defies logic. A third of people are asymptomatic from Covid-19. An estimated one in 100 people have it, meaning there is a reasonable chance some vaccinators will have and pass on the very condition they are vaccinating against. Logic dictates we vaccinate the vaccinators remembering the old adage: first, do no harm.
The justification (references 20-23 in the government press release) used for de-prioritising frontline staff claims that infectivity in care homes is greater than hospital settings, but the references do not formally make such a comparison.
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To be clear, the care home epidemic has been devastating in every wave of the illness thus far, especially the first, for which we have the most complete set of data. Both care home residents and staff therefore demand the highest level of protection. However, recommendations to prioritise hospitalised inpatients and vulnerable outpatients, as well as to de-prioritise frontline staff, must be made with these specific groups in mind, rather than by making indirect conclusions using another group’s data.
Trust and honest planned communication is vital for a successful vaccine rollout. Without it, any vaccine programme will fail. We are therefore imploring the government to listen to primary care staff. We can tell you the potential pitfalls and their solutions, we can provide the resources needed to do this locally and, for goodness sake, vaccinate the vaccinators first.
Dr Lizzie Toberty is a GP in the North East of England. She is a member of the GP committee at Dauk.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--These Feel-Good Stories Don’t Mention Br*xit Once

egal via Getty Images
There’s just over three weeks to go until Britain officially leaves the European Union, changing the course of the country for good.
Prime minister Boris Johnson is in Brussels meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen hoping to “thrash out” the issues which still divide the two sides. It’s all a bit up in the air at the moment – lots of back and forth about the terms and conditions surrounding the Brexit deal.
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As such, this epic divorce and the Covid-19 pandemic is dominating conversations, left, right and centre. But in the midst of all the uncertainty and fear, this past week has gifted us with a few joyous gems.
Man gets vaccinated, becomes national treasure instantly – then owns Piers Morgan
Fresh after receiving the coronavirus vaccine Martin Kenyon, 91, had a little dig at Piers Morgan while addressing his newfound fame.
Kenyon went viral on Tuesday as he told a CNN reporter he was late for his jab because he “damn well couldn’t find anywhere to park”.
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He then joined today’s Good Morning Britain where he described the mass attention to his widely shared parking quip as “rather ridiculous”.
When Morgan began to ask detailed questions about his life stating: ‘I know a lot about you’, the 91-year-old replied: ‘Yes, you do,’ before asking: ‘And who are you? Who are you?’. Priceless.
Dionne Warwick’s Twitter is the only good thing to happen in 2020
Sorry I’m still freaking out that u know who I am. This is amazing! — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 5, 2020
Legendary US singer Dionne Warwick is the new queen of Twitter, questioning her musical peers for all to see and absolutely no one is mad about it.
The 79-year-old asked Chance The Rapper why, since he obviously raps, does he need to include that fact in his stage name?
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Warwick also directed a question to singer The Weeknd about the spelling of his stage name and shared an exchange with Taylor Swift.
And the Walk On By singer wants you to know that she tweets her own posts too, okay?!
In a video captioned: “Came here to find foolishness in my replies”, Warwick said: “And this is for all of you tweeters who have decided I am not tweeting my own stuff to you. I want you to know I am – and I’m getting very, very, very good at it.”
People are using veg for Christmas decorations
One of the many joys of having a florist mum; SPROUT WREATH! pic.twitter.com/fIcX5mLhWh — Kim Hillyard (@kimhillyard) December 6, 2020
You know how the saying goes: waste not, want not. Adorning your door with food is just one of a few funky trends that people have adopted this festive season. Doorscaping – which involves the elaborate decoration of your home’s exterior – is all the rage these days too.
The pandemic has brought us some award-winning self-recorded skits
The Galactic Federation interviews Earth for membership pic.twitter.com/okgC7L0IuH — Vinny Thomas (With Eggnog!) (@vinn_ayy) December 8, 2020
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Utilising the increased time spent indoors during this pandemic, the thespians among us have dusted off the old camera and dazzled the internet with Oscar-worthy acting skills. Who needs a big budget and supporting cast members?
Stella the American bulldog doesn’t have a clue about Brexit and is quite happy that way
Stella is cute and totally unbothered at this point.
Nigella Lawson speaks out after her pronunciation of ‘microwave’ goes viral
BBC/Jay Brookes
During an episode of her BBC cookery show Cook Eat Repeat on Monday, TV chef Nigella Lawson pronounced microwave as “me-crow-wav-vey” sending the internet into meltdown with her ridiculous pronunciation of the kitchen gadget.
Though many viewers clocked that she was clearly joking, the cook has since spoken out and clarified that it was a “camp joke that becomes a habit”. It was worth the laugh!
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Student stars in a proposal-style photo shoot to celebrate paying off loans
Supplied


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Grandfather Who Charmed With Vaccine Tale Puts Piers Morgan In His Place

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He was one of the first people in the world to get a coronavirus vaccine, then he charmed everyone with his tale of getting it. Now 91-year-old Martin Kenyon has put Piers Morgan in his place.
The nonagenarian won himself even more fans on Wednesday when he achieved the impossible – getting Piers Morgan to stop dead in his tracks mid-sentence.
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Appearing on Good Morning Britain to retell his story of getting the Pfizer vaccine, Keynon was quick to put presenter Piers Morgan in his place.
“I know a lot about you actually Martin, because I found you such a brilliant interviewee,” Morgan said.
“Yes, you do,” Kenyon quipped. “Now, who are you?”
The quick response triggered peals of laughter from Morgan, his co-presenter Susanna Reid and the other interviewees.
“He’s laughing at his own jokes now,” Kenyon added.
'Who are you?'
The amazing moment 91 year-old Martin Kenyon stops @piersmorgan in his tracks as he discusses why he took the Covid-19 vaccine.
🤣🤣
Watch GMB 👉https://t.co/yyUUJmzswF pic.twitter.com/6bMI7MXEjX — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 9, 2020
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The grandfather of two was appearing on the show after receiving a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday – the first day of the NHS vaccination programme.
“It seemed sensible to get on with it because I have two delicious grandchildren and I’ve not been able to hug them for several weeks, months,” Kenyon said.
“I’m planning to spend Christmas with them all and I thought, if I have the vaccine I can hug them. Well, hug – it’s a silly word, isn’t it? But they’re very delightful.”
He was invited on the show after a chance interview with CNN outside of Guy’s Hospital in London went viral thanks to his tale of parking woes and sub-par lunches.
“I don’t intend to have it [Covid-19],” he told the reporter outside Guys Hospital. “Well, there’s no point dying now, when I’ve lived this long, is there? I don’t plan to anyway.”
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The 91-year-old was pictured at the unveiling of a statue of anti-Apartheid politician and former president of the African National Congress Oliver Tambo in Haringey last year and is reported to be a life-long friend of Desmond Tutu.
Tuesday marked the first day of the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the UK.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Why We May Still Need To Wear Face Masks In Winter 2021

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The coronavirus vaccine rollout has begun in earnest in the UK, but don’t expect to ditch your face mask any time soon.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific officer, said he expects life to start “returning towards normal” in spring, but face coverings may be needed until the end of 2021.
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“It may be that next winter, even with vaccination, we need measures like masks in place,” he told Sky News. “We don’t know yet how good all the vaccines are going to be at preventing the transmission of the virus.”
But speaking to LBC, Matt Hancock played down the suggestion. Asked if masks would be needed for most of next year, the health secretary said: “I don’t think so,” adding: “I think that by spring we should be out of the measures, I really hope. I hope that we have a normal summer this summer coming.”
Confused? We asked Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist and expert in respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, to explain why the timeline is so unclear – and potentially so long.
Ridofranz via Getty Images
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Face masks and other social distancing measures will still be needed to protect those who are not yet vaccinated, says Dr Tang. At the moment, we don’t have a clear view on when the vaccine rollout will reach completion.
We also don’t know whether vaccinated people will be asymptomatic – not impacted by the virus themselves but capable of passing it on.
“The recent questions about whether the Covid-19 vaccines can stop onward transmission are interesting and perhaps the main cause of concern here,” he adds. “Normally, vaccine responses are not assessed on the basis of curtailing onward transmission of the virus they are protecting against.
“This is actually very difficult to assess, because you cannot monitor all sources of the virus that might infect any particular individual when the virus is so widespread in the community.”
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The question of whether or not a vaccinated person can still spread the virus centres around so-called “sterilising protection”, adds Dr Tang.
“Sterilising protection” would require the vaccine to induce an antibody response and a cell-mediated immune response (a response that doesn’t involve antibodies). This, in theory, would “instantly and completely neutralise any infecting virus” that the vaccinated person is exposed to.
We don’t yet fully know if the vaccine is capable of this, but Dr Tang says the answer is “almost certainly not”.
There will also be a delay in the vaccine’s effectiveness. “The amount of antibodies after vaccination will increase but this will take time – we know from multiple studies that such antibodies take 1-2 weeks to increase and plateau,” Dr Tang says.
“Whilst the immune system is improving and increasing its antibody response to the vaccine, it’s possible that any exposure to the virus may allow some natural infection to occur with viral shedding before the immune response has matured enough to clear any virus completely from the body.”
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Scientists are also still uncertain how long immunity will last, from either natural infection or from the vaccines.
“So if someone gradually loses their immunity over time (and we see this with influenza), they may be vulnerable to infection until they get a vaccine boost,” explains Dr Tang. “Until they receive that booster, if they are exposed, then they can become infected and potentially transmit the virus to others then.”
There will be some people who do not respond to the vaccine, adds Dr Tang – another potential delay to life returning to normal.
“As a general rule, we assume that any vaccine will have a 5% failure rate due to natural variations in individual host immune responses, which is why it is useful to have different types of vaccine available for Covid-19,” he says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Victoria Beckham Could Not Be More Of A Proud Mum As She Discusses Son Brooklyn's Engagement

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Victoria Beckham’s pride for son Brooklyn shone through as she discussed how he’d found his “soulmate” with fiancée Nicola Peltz.
The 21-year-old announced earlier this year that he had proposed to the US actor with an adorable post on Instagram.
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During an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, Victoria discussed the pair’s engagement, and she really could not be happier for them.
Brooklyn Beckham and mum Victoria David M. Benett via Getty Images
She said: “Everybody always remembers Brooklyn as being little Brooklyn, on the football pitch with David at Manchester United.
“Now he’s a 21-year-old man. He’s so happy, they are both so happy.”
Of her future daughter-in-law, Victoria continued: “She is just wonderful. She’s sweet, she’s kind, she’s such a lovely, warm, wonderful, wonderful woman.
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“We couldn’t have asked for Brooklyn to meet a more adorable, lovely lady. We are very happy. We love her. He’s so happy.”
'We could not have asked for Brooklyn to meet a more adorable and lovely lady.'@victoriabeckham reveals all about her son Brooklyn's upcoming wedding to @nicolaannepeltz.
Watch in full ➡ https://t.co/vn8NeFi106 pic.twitter.com/6u4nmD1DlQ — Lorraine (@lorraine) December 9, 2020
The Spice Girl turned fashion designer added: “It’s nice with everything that has gone on this year that Brooklyn has found his soulmate and the lady he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
“There’s been so much uncertainty and that everything felt a little bit sad. So we are very happy and very excited.”
Brooklyn, 21, and Nicola, 25, have been dating for around eight months before they announced news of their engagement in July.
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During the interview, Victoria discussed how the Beckham clan would be spending Christmas this year.
“As much as lockdown has been hard for everyone, it’s just been great spending time together as a family,” she said.
“I don’t know who is more excited, the kids or whether it’s David. He gets very, very excited. We have had Christmas music playing in the Beckham house for a month and a half.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Covid Fines For Tier 3 Walsall Football Club Where Partygoers Outsmarted Police For Months

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Police used an angle grinder to cut their way into an illegal lock-in at a football club in tier 3 – after guests lowered the metal shutters and tried to hide in darkness.
West Midlands Police say Walsall Wood FC in the West Midlands have been secretly opening their clubhouse throughout lockdown and have outsmarted officers, who have been trying unsuccessfully to get inside since April.
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They finally managed to do so on Saturday, but not without a challenge. When officers arrived at the club at about 7pm, the people inside quickly closed the shutters and turned off the music and lights.
It is thought that attendees saw police arrive on CCTV, which was then deleted.
After it became clear they wouldn’t be able to get inside, officers visited the home of the chairman in an attempt to get access into the building. A spokesperson for WMP said the chairman was “unable to provide addresses of key holders” and denied having his own keys.
With no other options left on the table, officers returned to the club and attempted to cut through a number of padlocks. As they did so, the people inside began chanting, turned on the lights and music and “continued to defiantly party”.
Eventually specialist officers were called in by WMP to assist, cutting open the shutters with an angle grinder and forcing the door open.
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Once inside, police issued 17 £200 fixed penalty notices and a £1,000 fine to the organiser, with a review of the club’s license now underway.
Chief inspector Rod Rose, from Walsall Police said: “This was a blatant breach of the current tier 3 restrictions in place in Walsall.
“We believe the club have been flouting the rules throughout the pandemic and have attempted to outsmart us when we’ve previously attended.
“While they may think it’s harmless fun, their actions were reckless and are endangering lives.
“We understand the frustrations of people who are wanting to socialise - especially in the run up to Christmas - but the government restrictions are in place to reduce the spread of the virus and keep people safe.
“We’re committed to doing that in Walsall and I’d urge anyone with any similar concerns to contact us via Live Chat on our website or by call us on 101.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Posties Mock Selfridges' Royal Mail Collection With First Class Jokes

Selfridges
Postal workers have been laughing at Selfridges this week after the department store launched a collaboration with Royal Mail that does not deliver the goods.
The collection includes a two-tone jacket made from “upcycled woven mail bags” (pictured above) that’ll set you back £445.
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The range is designed to pay homage to postal workers, says Selfridges, adding: “While we continue to stay connected to those we can’t visit in person, we’re celebrating the power of the post, and the sense of closeness and community it brings.”
But the tribute has seriously missed the mark, with posties on Twitter jokingly modelling their own versions of the jacket, costing decidedly less.
Just saw @Selfridges collaboration with @RoyalMail in making this ‘lovely’ jacket. I’ve modelled my own version today ... available from Monday in @Primark pic.twitter.com/KcmOgLpvAs — Neil Hartley (@Hartleyno9) December 5, 2020
Omg!!! Royal mail collaboration with selfridges has produced a jacket made out of old postal sacks, selling for £445!!!!
If anyone's interested, I can sell you my tatty old @RoyalMail work boots to go with it for £1500 lmao. pic.twitter.com/wEThgbrP0a — 2m---Ian w---2m (@_ian_w_) December 7, 2020
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Those without a first class budget may wish to peruse the rest of the collection, where you’ll find a 10-piece postal themed biscuit tin that’s £49.99, or a plain black t-shirt with the slogan “handle with care” written across the chest for £40.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--People With 'Significant History' Of Allergic Reactions Shouldn't Have Covid Vaccine, Says MHRA

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The UK’s medicines regulator has advised people with a “significant history” of allergic reactions not to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
It comes after two NHS workers who received the jab on Tuesday – the first day of the mass vaccination programme – suffered an allergic reaction.
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Both are “recovering well”, NHS England officials said.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given precautionary advice to NHS trusts that anyone who has a history of “significant” allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines should not receive the vaccine.
The NHS in England said all trusts involved with the vaccination programme have been informed.
It means anyone scheduled to receive the vaccine on Wednesday will be asked about their history of allergic reactions, the PA news agency reported.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, said: “As is common with new vaccines the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday. Both are recovering well.”
MHRA chief executive June Raine told MPs on Wednesday morning that the regulator was looking into two reports of allergic reactions.
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“We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn’t a feature,” she told the Commons’ science and technology committee.
“But if we need to strengthen our advice, now that we’ve had this experience in the vulnerable populations – the groups have been selected as a priority – we get that advice to the field immediately.”
The new MHRA advice states: “Any person with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food (such as previous history of anaphylactoid reaction or those who have been advised to carry an adrenaline autoinjector) should not receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
“Resuscitation facilities should be available at all times for all vaccinations. Vaccination should only be carried out in facilities where resuscitation measures are available.”
PA reported that it is understood that both the staff members affected on Tuesday had a significant history of allergic reactions – to the extent they need to carry an adrenaline auto injector with them.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Nigella Lawson Speaks Out After Her Pronunciation Of 'Microwave' Goes Viral

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Nigella Lawson wants you to know she doesn’t really think microwave is pronounced “me-crow-wav-vey”.
The TV chef has spoken out after her hilarious way of referring to the kitchen gadget went viral.
Nigella sent the internet into meltdown when she debuted her unusual pronunciation during an episode of her BBC cookery show Cook Eat Repeat on Monday.
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And while it might have been pretty obvious she was joking, the cook still had to explain this to some people who evidently didn’t quite get that it was all in jest.
After one person tweeted that they initially thought Nigella was “being sarcastic” before “starting to think she really pronounces it like that”, she replied: “Well, I do say it like that, but not because I think that’s how it’s actually pronounced.”
Nigella told another person that it was a “camp joke that becomes a habit”, which perhaps makes us love her even more.
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Well, I do say it like that, but not because I think that’s how it’s actually pronounced — Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) December 8, 2020
I don’t know. A camp joke that becomes a habit — Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) December 8, 2020
Her spokesperson has even issued a statement about the whole thing, which was read out on Greg James’ Radio 1 show on Wednesday morning.
“In a nutshell, it’s how Nigella refers to the microwave at home. It’s a bit of a family joke,” they said.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Piers Morgan Says Kay Burley Should Be Held To Same Account As Politicians Over Covid Rule Break

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Piers Morgan has said Sky News journalist Kay Burley should be held to the same account as politicians over her Covid rule-break.
The broadcaster is currently the subject of an internal investigation after celebrating her 60th birthday in London at the weekend, whilst the capital was under tier 2 restrictions.
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Kay said she had celebrated at a “Covid compliant” restaurant on Saturday and afterwards “popped into another” venue to use the bathroom. The gathering reportedly included some of her Sky News colleagues.
Kay Burley Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Piers addressed the story on Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain after being asked why “we’re not commenting on this given it’s one of our own, the media”.
“We should talk about it even though they are friends of ours,” he insisted.
“My view would be, as I’m sure Kay’s view would be if she was talking about this, we should be held to account, in my opinion, exactly the same way we hold politicians to account.
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“If we’re going to hold people’s feet to the fire, we’ve got to make sure we live up to the same standards.”
During the pandemic, Kay has repeatedly grilled politicians on lockdown. In May she famously quizzed cabinet minister Michael Gove on the controversy over Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle.
Piers Morgan Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
On Monday evening, the presenter tweeted an apology, writing: “I want to apologise to you all for an error of judgment. On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules.
“I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.”
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Evening everyone
I want to apologise to you all for an error of judgment. On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules. 1/2 — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) December 7, 2020
I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise 2/2 — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) December 7, 2020
After announcing the internal investigation, Sky said that while the event had taken place in personal time, it “expected all our people to follow the rules that are in place for everyone”.
Burley was subsequently not on air on Tuesday, and her morning current affairs show was instead presented by Sarah Hewson.
Following reports she would now be off air for the rest of the year, Kay insisted on Twitter that she had always planned to take time off to visit “my beloved Africa”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--The Best Podcasts We Listened To In 2020, As Picked By HuffPosters

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2020 has well and truly been the year of the podcast. Not just because HuffPost UK launched three of our own* (oh, yes we did) – but because we’ve spent so much of the year on our government-mandated walks. And what better way to while away a walk than by listening to a podcast?
To find out what has been occupying HuffPost ears this year, we asked staffers to recommend one podcast they’ve really enjoyed in 2020. From crime to pop culture and a bit of celeb gossip, here’s our round-up.
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Storyteller
Recommended by: Jayson Mansaray, Video producer
I’m really enjoying Storyteller with Lisa Golden. The premise of the podcast is how and why we tell stories, which Golden explores by speaking to creatives from around the world. It’s created, produced and presented by Lisa who’s an old colleague of mine from HuffPost – so of course I was going to listen!
Storyteller informed some of the HuffPost video series I’ve been making myself, #BlackVoicesHPUK – particularly the episode where Lisa spoke with The Black Curriculum about how we teach Black British history. They discussed what it means for Black children to see people who look like them in history for the first time in the context of slavery or colonialism. It made me think about how powerful representation is and the kind of messaging young people are being taught. There are two other episodes I’d also recommend: ‘YouTubers: How YouTube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars’ and the episode with our own Opinion editor Lucy Pasha-Robinson, titled ‘Wellness Culture Can F*** Off’, all about the HuffPost podcast she launched, Chronic.
Who The Hell Is Hamish?
Recommended by: Amy Packham, life editor
I have vivid memories of lying on a grassy common near my flat in the summer, listening to Who The Hell is Hamish? for hours every evening, desperate to eek out the sun after work. Produced by The Australian newspaper, which also made 2018′s Teacher’s Pet, it’s another true crime podcast, this time about a serial conman. Hamish duped loads of people out of loads of money, and the podcast follows his life – and the people he met – as well as how he managed to dodge the authorities for so long. The details from the people he conned are fascinating, and it makes you wonder whether you’d fall for it, too. It’s one of those “I’ve got to listen to the next episode” type podcasts.
luza studios via Getty Images
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The Daily’s Sunday Read
Recommended by: Brogan Driscoll, life editor
If you’re anything like me, you bookmark dozens of long reads you never quite get round to starting – let alone finishing. So, when a friend recommended The Sunday Read to me, an hour(ish) long podcast where one such article is read out, I quickly became hooked as I walked for hours around my local area. The articles selected are some of the best long reads published on The New York Times, a welcome relief in the podcast sphere if you’re not really into the whole celebrity genre. My favourite episode – and the one I recommend to anyone who’ll listen (hiya!) – is ‘David’s Ankles’, about Michelangelo’s David in Florence, Italy. And this is from someone who knows very little about Michelangelo and art history in general. The episode is full of amusing tidbits about the statue’s creation (let’s just say it wasn’t plain sailing) and how it is consumed today (tourists taking selfies with his genitals are quite common, apparently). It’s an exploration of perfectionism in art and, more broadly, in life, made even better when read out by actor Eduardo Ballerini who talks, according to the author, “as if Michelangelo sculpted voices”.
Grounded with Louis Theroux
Recommended by: Adam Bloodworth, features writer
I’ll admit that given the thousands of podcasts out there, getting stuck into Louis Theroux’s lockdown project was hardly the most challenging listening – but then again, it was lockdown and I wasn’t feeling a challenge. I was craving Theroux’s reliably comforting voice: his well-paced, cleverly worded conversational questioning, which I got in droves when I smashed through the first series. At times, like when he waxes lyrical with his old private school mate Helena Bonham Carter, it veers into uncomfortably privileged territory, but the chat about how he differed from his brothers at school is revealing. Lenny Henry, Boy George, Gail Porter and Miriam Margoyles are thrilling guests: there’s the sense that Theroux would have bowled over to these people to have these conversations IRL anyway. With some time on his hands during lockdown, he’s just had them with the recorder turned on.
You’re Dead To Me
Recommended by: Jasmin Gray, news reporter
If you loved CBBC’s Horrible Histories as a kid, You’re Dead To Me is the podcast you should already be listening to. Hosted by historian Greg Jenner – who is actually the brains behind the CBBC show – You’re Dead To Me is his offering for adults who still love the gruesome, shocking and hilarious aspects of the past. In each episode, he’s joined by a comedian and an expert with seriously impressive credentials on the topic up for discussion. In the first two series, the podcast has covered the likes of Neanderthals, Blackbeard, the history of chocolate, the ancient Olympics and Mary Shelley. Expect to walk away having had some laughs and banked some excellent facts for your next Zoom quiz.
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Nice White Parents
Recommended by: Sam Mackereth, head of video
Nice White Parents was the conversation starter in parenting circles this summer. The timing of its release made it particularly relevant to me as my daughter was preparing to start school. The podcast examines racial inequalities in the education system and how they have only been deepened by well-intended, predominantly white, parents who aspired to close that gap. Though the story is told through the history of a public school in Brooklyn, New York, the themes seem to be pretty interchangeable to any city or country around the world. I found myself feeling almost embarrassed listening to it as I identified with the parents who were causing harm while empathising with those being hurt – a very uncomfortable, and necessary, path to self-awareness. I’d recommend this podcast, and not only to parents, because the more we understand the ways that systems affect our societies, the more we can work to change them for the better.
Twenty Twenty
Recommended by: Angela Hui, life reporter
We all know 2020 has been a shit show of a year, but what if we could go back twenty years to a simpler time? Picture it now: the Millennium Dome had just been built, Craig David dominated the charts and everyone was playing snake on the Nokia 3310. Well, now you can, with Twenty Twenty, as hosts Observer’s film critic Simran Hans and gal-dem’s music editor Tara Joshi give intelligent and thoughtful analysis and discussions on the pop culture phenomenons that were all the rage at the start of the millennia. From one of the world’s best-selling computer game The Sims to reality TV show Big Brother and the chopping and changing of Destiny’s Child band members, relive the glory days with a fresh and new perspective that’ll transport you to yesteryear.
Short Cuts
Recommended by: Nancy Groves, head of life
Living alone through lockdown, often struggling to sleep, I craved company and calm. BBC’s Short Cuts – now in its 24th series – offered me both. Presented by comedian Josie Long, this anthology of “brief encounters, true stories, radio adventures and found sound” is a varied audio experience that veers from the ambient and abstract to some highly specific storytelling. Long bookends each themed episode with companionable chill and honesty about how weird the year has been. There are so many worth your time, but shout out to ‘The Sea, The Sea’ for sustaining me when I felt desperately landlocked in London.
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In fact, since the Beeb sorted out the Sounds app, I’ve discovered more from its podcast slate. Freddy McConnell’s Pride & Joy is a joyous look at “how queers make kids”, which shows that families start with love, however else they are formed. You’ll Do sees comedian couple Sarah Keyworth and Catherine Bohart ask fellow funny folk how they make their relationships work (though the hosts have since split). Sadly, Sadia Azmat and Monty Onanuga’s pairing on No Country For Young Women has also come to an end, but in a year that brought a renewed reckoning on racism, the duo’s commentary on living in a “white man’s world” was always on point.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Arizona Republican Party Asks If Supporters Willing To Die For Trump's Election Fraud Lies

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The Arizona Republican Party ignited backlash on Tuesday after firing off a pair of tweets that appeared to encourage President Donald Trump’s supporters to give their lives as part of an effort to overturn the election results.
The controversy started late Monday when the group retweeted Ali Alexander, a leader of “Stop the Steal” ― a movement that embraces the debunked conspiracy theory that there was widespread election fraud and that Trump, not Democrat Joe Biden, actually won the contest.
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“I am willing to give my life for this fight,” Alexander wrote in the tweet, which the Arizona GOP shared with its more than 61,000 Twitter followers.
“He is,” Arizona GOP added in their retweet. “Are you?”
Official Arizona GOP Twitter account overnight: pic.twitter.com/lspQunuRGU — Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) December 8, 2020
About an hour later, the Arizona GOP tweeted a clip from the 2008 film “Rambo” in which the titular character issues a call to action to soldiers: “This is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something.”
The “Rambo” tweet was removed late Tuesday morning after racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Zachary Henry, a spokesman for the Arizona GOP, cited “concerns about copyright and fair use law” when asked about its removal.
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“The Republican Party of Arizona condemns all forms of violence in the strongest terms,” Henry said. “Fictional movie scenes should be weighed in their proper context.”
He did not respond to a request for comment about what the Arizona GOP meant when it asked if people were willing to give their lives for “Stop the Steal” and whether the pair of tweets could be viewed as encouraging violence.
“If some random yahoo in AZ kills somebody in the name of Trump staying in office, will Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward be charged as an accessory?” tweeted Philadelphia Inquirer opinion columnist Will Bunch.
Elections officials, Democrats and some Republican lawmakers have urged Trump and his allies to stop spreading lies about the election results and tone down their divisive rhetoric, warning that such remarks could lead to violence.
“It has to stop. Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language,” Gabriel Sterling, a Republican and the voting implementation manager in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, said during a press conference last week.
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“Stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence,” Sterling continued. “Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, someone’s going to get killed. And it’s not right.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Here Are The Areas Of England At Risk Of Tier 3 Restrictions

The biggest jump is in Havering, where the rate has increased from 268.5 to 346.0 – the highest rate anywhere in London.
Hounslow has recorded the biggest drop, down from 170.2 to 147.3, while Richmond-upon-Thames currently has the lowest rate in the capital: 80.3.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged residents to follow tier 2 rules stringently in order to avoid being placed into tougher restrictions.
A spokesman for Khan said: “If we begin to act like this virus has gone away we could see a devastating further surge in cases at a time of year when our NHS is already under enough pressure,” the spokesman said.
“The number-one way to look out for our loved ones and support local businesses in this festive season is to follow the rules and do all we can to avoid going back into tougher restrictions, later this month or any time in the future.”
Eastern England
The whole of Eastern England is currently in tier 2, but rates are rising in most areas — 35 out of a total of 45 in the region.
Basildon, Essex, has recorded the biggest jump, up from 290.6 to 390.5, and now has the highest rate for any area in the region.
Leader of Basildon Council Gavin Callaghan issued an “urgent message” earlier in December, warning residents to continue to abide by the rules in order to avoid being placed under tougher restrictions.
Brentwood’s cases also jumped from 121 to 192 from the last seven day period, with the most recent figures revealing 249.3 cases per 100,000 people.
But the picture isn’t the same across the entire region. North Norfolk has seen the biggest week-on-week fall, down from 90.6 to 65.8.
Meanwhile, mid Suffolk currently has the lowest rate: 46.2, up from 37.5.
The South East
Of the 67 areas in this region, 40 are recording a rise. A total of fourteen areas in the region are already in tier 3, comprised of Kent plus Slough, but others face being moved into tougher restrictions if rates continue to rise.
Just one – the Isle of Wight – is currently in tier 1.
While tier 3 Slough has seen the biggest drop in cases across the region, Runnymede, Surrey, – currently in Tier 2 – has seen the biggest week-on-week jump, up from 143.1 to 275.1.
South east England is notable for containing both the highest and the lowest rates in the whole of England. Medway has the highest, 607.1 (up from 495.4), while the Isle of Wight has the lowest, 19.8 (down from 31.0).
The South West
The picture across the South West is vastly differs between local authorities, with Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in tier 1 while Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire remain in tier 3.
The rest of the region is in tier 2, but some areas have noted a jump in cases prompting fears they too could end up living under the toughest restrictions.
Seven local authority areas, all of which are in tier 2, have recorded a rise in the latest figures.
West Devon, in Tier 2, has seen the biggest week-on-week increase, though it’s only a small rise: up from 59.1 to 87.8.
Gloucester has the highest rate in the south-west: 158.0.
Data from the Covid Symptom Study app, run by experts at ZOE and King’s College London, shows Bath and North East Somerset, released on Tuesday also shows that the area is one of just a handful across England where active infections are rising.
According to the app, which sends data to ministers on a daily basis, the area now has case rate of 418 per 100,000 and 116 per 100,000 for the over 60s.
How tiers are decided
The government has said it will base any decision on whether a region needs to move up or down tiers on five criteria.
Case detection rates in all age groups;
Case detection rates in the over 60s;
The rate at which cases are rising or falling;
Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken);
Pressure on the NHS.
Ministers will also consider local views “to build the most accurate picture” of what is happening on the ground.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Fox News Host: Trump's Not Speaking To Me Right Now

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Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera said Tuesday that President Donald Trump isn’t speaking to him because he acknowledges the fact that President-elect Joe Biden won the election.
The conservative commentator, who has described Trump as a friend and routinely defends him, was in the thick of criticising Biden’s Covid-19 plan on “The Five” when he dropped the tidbit.
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“I don’t mean to be petty or partisan,” he said. “I just want you to know that as [Trump’s] friend — even if he may not be speaking to me right now because of my position on the election being over — but I think, I insist that we have to recognise the role he played, the 45th president, in defeating a pandemic that has been so devastating to America and the world.”
Geraldo said on Fox News last month that he loves Trump but just wanted him to “recognise the reality” that the election is over.
Later in Tuesday’s segment, co-host Jesse Watters commented on Rivera’s “juicy gossip,” prompting the commentator to add that Trump “didn’t take my calls the last two times I tried.”
More than a month after the November 3 election ― which Biden won by more than 7 million votes nationally and with 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232 ― the president has still refused to concede. He continues to baselessly declare that the process was rife with fraud, even as his legal challenges fail again and again in battleground states.
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Trump supporters and Republicans in Congress have largely allowed this crusade to go unchecked. Just 27 congressional Republicans acknowledge Biden’s win, a recent Washington Post survey found. Another 220 simply wouldn’t say who won.
“The results demonstrate the fear that most Republicans have of the outgoing president and his grip on the party,” the Post reported, “despite his new status as just the third elected president to lose reelection in the past 80 years.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Little Pygmy Possum Rediscovered On Australia's Kangaroo Island After Bushfires

This time last year, catastrophic bushfires destroyed much of the little pygmy possum's habitat on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Now, ecologists have found the species for the first time since the fires. Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife/Reuters
Almost a year after the devastating Black Summer bushfires killed or displaced more than 3 billion animals in Australia, a small ray of hope has arrived in the form of a little pygmy possum.
Ecologists feared the tiny marsupial, which is found on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, could be extinct after the fires killed 33 people and razed over 24 million hectares last fire season.
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This week, the conservation group Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife found the creature in an “unburnt patch” while working on forest surveys to assess what species are left.
The status of the little pygmy possum (cercartetus lepidus) was unknown pre 2020 bushfires on #kangarooisland. With most of its habitat severely burnt we are happy to have detected the species for the first time since the fires in the largest unburnt patch #BushfireRecoveryAU pic.twitter.com/tSRjPunDZ8 — Pat Hodgens (@terrainecology) December 4, 2020
Fauna ecologist Pat Hodgens told the ABC the find is welcome news after a tough year.
“There’s only really been 113 formal records of the species” on Kangaroo Island, he said.
“So certainly not very common, and, obviously, the summer bushfires burnt through much of that habitat that species had.”
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The island was particularly hard-hit by the last bushfire season. Two people lost their lives and almost 90 homes were destroyed. The island is a biodiverse haven for wildlife — including the little pygmy possum, which is the world’s smallest possum species.
Fires destroyed at least half of the rich habitat when they ripped through the area in January 2020, leaving scores of dead animals in the aftermath. Wildlife experts worried about the future of Kangaroo Island’s native threatened species, including koalas.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, more than 60,000 koalas were killed, injured or displaced in the bushfires last summer.
Even before the fires, koala habitats had been in rapid decline due to dog attacks, cars and land clearing for agriculture, urban development, mining and forestry.
An injured Koala sits beside a dead koala on Kangaroo Island on January 15, 2020. The charred forest floor was littered with the corpses of animals incinerated by the blazes that swept through the area. PETER PARKS via Getty Images
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A 2016 report by a panel of koala experts had put the koala population in Australia at 329,000, but there have been bushfires annually since then, reducing the number further.
The 60,000 koalas estimated to have been affected by the summer bushfires is “a devastating number for a species that was already sliding towards extinction in Eastern Australia. We cannot afford to lose koalas on our watch,” WWF-Australia Chief Executive Dermot O’Gorman said in the report.
Kangaroo Island was the worst-hit area for koalas, with some 40,000 impacted, the WWF said. Nearly 11,000 in Victoria and 8,000 in New South Wales were also affected.
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A year-long NSW parliamentary inquiry concluded in June that koalas in the state could become extinct by 2050 unless the government immediately intervened to protect them and their habitat.
The WWF aims to double the number of koalas in eastern Australia by 2050. The plan includes a trial of drones to disperse eucalyptus seeds, which provide both food and shelter for koalas, and the establishment of a fund to encourage landowners to create koala safe havens.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Meryl Streep Points Out Something Barack Obama Got ‘A Little Bit Wrong’ In His Memoir

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Meryl Streep would like to set the record straight.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, the Oscar-winning actor clarified a certain moment that former President Barack Obama got “a little bit wrong” in his new presidential memoir, A Promised Land.
Colbert was telling Streep about her mention in the former president’s book (page 542, for anyone who has it handy).
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“He’s talking about artists and entertainers and the cultural hub they wanted the White House to be,” Colbert explained, before reading aloud Streep’s acknowledgement, which is in the book as: “ ... Meryl Streep leaning over to softly recite in Mandarin the lyrics to a song about clouds that she had learned for a part years ago.”
“I do remember that moment,” Streep said. “But he got the story a little bit wrong. He’s a very good writer but his memory is ... ”
“Let’s fact-check the president here,” Colbert cut in, as Streep laughed.
President Barack Obama presents the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Meryl Streep as well as 18 others. ImageCatcher News Service via Getty Images
Streep gently corrected the president’s story by saying that she actually recited a poem ― not a song ― that she’d learned for an event in Beijing, alongside acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. HuffPost also reached out to the former president for further clarification.
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“It was a cultural kind of exchange thing,” Streep told the late night host. “I went with Yo-Yo Ma and a bunch of performers and we were to be in the great, big nest stadium with 7,000 people.”
At the concert, the actor was tasked with reading a “famous fourth-century Chinese poem that everyone knows” in both English and Chinese. All was going as planned, until Streep heard that a special guest ― the cultural minister ― would be in attendance and suddenly became “terrified.”
“This was such an important person with her 40-person entourage,” she said. “And I learned the poem in Mandarin and Yo-Yo Ma would weave in his music in-between. We had practiced this, but in Chinese the same word can be translated as a completely different thing.”
Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep and the Obamas pictured at the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
So when it came time to say the poem in Mandarin, Streep simply ... didn’t.
“I said the poem in English, and then I meant to start up in Mandarin and I just looked up at [Ma] and smiled,” Streep said, shrugging her shoulders as she reenacted the moment, and both she and Colbert let out belly laughs.
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“And he went cross-eyed and kind of finished up and then we both bowed,” she said. “Because of his artistry, it was a wonderful moment. People loved it.”
What a recovery!
Streep said that she remembered the poem and said it to the president, which is likely what Obama is referencing in the book, though she didn’t elaborate further.
The actor then recited the poem ― in both English and Mandarin ― for Colbert and the host loved it.
“We rarely get Mandarin poetry in late-night these days,” he quipped.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Madonna Gets Her First Ever Tattoo – And It’s A Family Affair

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It’s taken 62 years, but Madonna has finally got her first ever tattoo.
The singer shared her new inking with fans on social media - and the new design is very much a family affair.
In a series of photos posted on Instagram, Madge is seen visiting the Shamrock Social Club in Los Angeles and interacting with tattoo artist East Iz.
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The finished design has the letters “L R D M S E” on the inside of her wrist, a tribute to her six children: Lourdes, 24; Rocco, 20; David, 15; Mercy, 14; and twins Stella and Estere, eight.
Captioning the photo of her new body art, Madonna wrote: “Inked for The Very First Time,” a nod to the lyrics of her 1984 hit Like A Virgin.
Earlier this year, the singer – who has swapped her signature blonde locks for bubblegum pink tresses – confirmed she is co-writing and directing a biopic about her life and nearly 40-year career as a pop icon.
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Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for writing the screenplay of Juno, is collaborating with the star on the script.
The film will cover such aspects of the singer’s life as her early years as a dancer in Manhattan; her friendships with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring; her uncomfortable encounters with Evita composer Andrew Lloyd Webber; and the conflict over the religious imagery in her Like A Prayer video, according to The Wrap.
“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer ― a human being, trying to make her way in this world,” Madonna said in a statement.
“The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”
There’s no word yet on who might be cast to play key roles, including the Queen of Pop herself, or when the film will be released.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-09--Craig Revel Horwood Blasts ‘Ridiculous’ Viewers Who Criticised Strictly Come Dancing’s Drag Routine

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Craig Revel Horwood has made it clear he has no time for anyone who had a problem with last week’s drag routine on Strictly Come Dancing.
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The routine, which also saw the trio brandish rainbow fans, prompted both praise and criticism from viewers on social media.
The BBC said it would not comment on the number of complaints received.
Responding to the critics, Craig said drag was part of “real life” and urged those who took issue with it to “open your eyes”.
He told the PA news agency: “I think they are ridiculous. If you can’t grow with society then turn it off. It’s crazy.
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“You are always going to come into problems with someone complaining about something. But there was nothing.
“If people knew what Priscilla Queen Of The Desert actually was, like the musical and they saw that, then they would know that the boys were acting as these characters in the play.
“That’s the whole point of having musicals week and movies week, so you get to play these wonderful and vibrant characters.
“I’m sorry but this is a part of real life and if you are not going to open your eyes up to it then turn the TV off.”
Craig Revel Horwood BBC
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The dance was led by Johannes, who last year made history on the show by dancing with fellow professional Graziano di Prima.
Craig also referred to the complaints Strictly received after Olympic boxer Nicola Adams made her debut this year alongside Katya Jones in the show’s first same-sex series pairing.
He said: “People need to open their eyes and accept that this is all-inclusive society and that is what we should be working towards.
“That’s what we should be opening our minds up to, not going against it and complaining about people having a great time and dancing in character. That’s just crazy.”