thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--The Truth Behind Five Coronavirus Myths

The Truth Behind Five Coronavirus Myths

A coronavirus epidemic is now “inevitable”, scientists have said, and the government have released details of sweeping measures that could be brought in if or when the outbreak worsens.
The internet allows us to stay up to date with every possible update on the virus, but researching something as complex as a novel virus can get confusing pretty quickly – especially when certain corners of the web are full of myths, misinformation, and full-blown conspiracy theories.
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Here are five coronavirus myths we need to shut down – and what we should be doing to protect ourselves instead:
1. Wearing a mask means you won’t get infected
A mannequin wearing a protective mask and Brazil’s soccer jersey. Amanda Perobelli / Reuters
Groups of people wearing masks – in airport terminals, supermarkets, quarantined streets – have already become the defining image of the Covid-19 coverage, and even in areas with very low, or even zero, cases, masks in all their variations are selling out.
Google Trends shows that a tiny majority of worldwide internet users were searching for “coronavirus mask” prior to January 20, 2019 – but by February 26 searches for the term had rocketed, including in the UK.
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The most in-demand type of masks are N95 respirators which are often worn by workers in industries such as construction and healthcare. While they might be effective at preventing contact with contaminated liquid, they won’t hold back small particles in the air from coughs or sneezes, and so aren’t effective protection from Covid-19.
According to the US government’s Food and Drug Administration, the mask might help reduce exposure of your saliva and respiratory secretions to others – but there’s no official advice on whether a mask worn by those already infected would slow the spread of coronavirus.
In fact, wearing a mask could increase your risk of contracting the virus, infection prevention specialist Eli Perencevich told Forbes.
“Wearing a mask is tricky because it can create a false sense of security,” Dr Perencevich said. “If you don’t wash your hands before you take off the mask and after you take off your mask, you could increase your risk.”
Healthcare professionals are trained specifically in how to wear the masks, but if a member of the general public wears one incorrectly then they risk trapping exactly the particles they are trying to keep out inside the mask.
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The NHS best practice for preventing the spread of the infection is:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
Put used tissues in the bin immediately
Wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
2. Coronavirus can be cured by a ‘Miracle Mineral Solution’ (MMS)
Widespread access to the internet means that a significant proportion of the global population can stay well-informed about rapidly-developing situations such as the coronavirus outbreak, but it can also provide a space for dangerous conspiracy theories and ‘cures’ to flourish.
One dangerous myth propagated in more questionable sections of the internet is that of a “supposed cure”, commonly referred to as MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution).
Conspiracy theorist Jordan Sather, who shares information through his social media relating to the Q-Anon pro-Donald Trump far-right conspiracy theory, is one proponent of the solution, alongside countless other online personalities who claim the solution as a cure for autism and diseases such as cancer, the New Statesman reports.
In reality, MMS consists of 28% sodium chlorite – a chemical compound most commonly known as bleach.
Whilst it might be effective at stripping germs from your household surfaces, it’s in no way safe to consume. Ingestion is likely to cause severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and in some cases acute liver failure.
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Just to reiterate, it’s definitely not a ‘cure’ for a viral infection such as Covid-19.
3. Seasonal flu is more likely to kill you
You might have overheard someone saying something along the lines of “oh well, the regular flu kills more people each year than coronavirus has”.
So far that’s technically true – coronavirus has only been around for a few months and according to Public Health England around 8,000 people die each year from seasonal flu so the number of deaths is higher – but that doesn’t mean the mortality rate for coronavirus isn’t higher.
Researchers are currently working on the basis that around 1% of people who contract coronavirus will die, with a best guess of nine people out of every 1,000 cases, the BBC reports.
The likelihood of dying from Covid-19 is dependent on a myriad of factors; including age, sex, health, and how good the health service looking after you is.
Working out the chances of death from coronavirus is not a simple process, not least because an unknown number of people with mild symptoms won’t see a health professional, but may pass the infection on to someone else who may be at higher risk.
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As with coronavirus, it’s difficult to establish what percentage of people with flu die each year as many don’t visit the doctor with mild symptoms, but estimates suggest that around 0.1% of people with seasonal flu die each year, the New York Times reports.
Working from those figures, death rates for coronavirus are ten times than what they are for seasonal flu.
4. Vaccines for pneumonia and flu will protect you from Covid-19
No, vaccines such as the flu jab – which more than 25m people in the UK are offered each year – will not protect you against coronavirus.
Guidance on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) website states “Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.”
The organisation however does recommend all eligible members of the public to get vaccinated against respiratory illnesses.
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Resources are already being poured into developing a vaccine for coronavirus – and researchers are already testing potential vaccines on animal subjects, BBC news reports.
If those trials are successful they could be trialled on humans within months, but there’s no quick way of mass producing a safe vaccine.
There are four coronaviruses that can already infect humans and cause the common cold. None of them yet have vaccines.
For the time being, the best way of avoiding coronavirus is to take preventative measures such as maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene.
5. You can get coronavirus from household pets
Coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan, central China, where humans were in close quarters with a huge variety of animals both alive and dead.
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It is there that scientists believe the virus leapt from animals to humans – but that doesn’t mean you’ll catch coronavirus from your household cat or dog.
There have been reports of a dog in Hong Kong being quarantined after testing ‘weak positive’ for the virus, but WHO maintain on their website that there is no evidence that pets can be infected with novel coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Twelve New Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In England

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Twelve more people in England have tested positive for novel coronavirus, and Scotland confirmed its first case, as Boris Johnson said the government was prepared for the spread of the disease to continue.
The latest cases bring the total number in the UK to 36 – of which 33 have been found in England.
One of the patients, from Essex, had no relevant travel and it is not yet known how they contracted the virus – the second such known case in England.
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Three of the patients in England were close contacts of a known case and were transmitted in the UK.
A Tayside resident who recently travelled from Italy became the first person in Scotland to be diagnosed with coronavirus, the Scottish Government said.
Speaking to at a Public Health England centre in Colindale, north London, the prime minister said he was “very, very confident” that the NHS is able to cope with an outbreak of coronavirus.
“As you know, we’ve found about 35 people in this country who have, or have had, the illness,” Boris Johnson said.
“And clearly there may be more, that’s likely to spread a bit more, and it’s vital therefore that people understand that we do have a great plan, a plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
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Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in north London. PA
“And I am very, very confident that in the NHS we have the professionals who will be well able to cope with it.”
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said on Sunday that investigations were ongoing as to whether the patient from Essex had contracted it “directly or indirectly” from an individual who had recently travelled abroad.
Of the eight remaining cases, six had recently travelled from Italy, while two had been in Iran.
These patients are from London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire.
One of the confirmed cases is in Bury, according to Bury Council, which said the patient had been taken to a specialist NHS infection centre.
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12 further patients in England have tested positive for COVID-19.
Further details ⬇ pic.twitter.com/7uTkl1Qmyp — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 1, 2020
The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 33. Following previously reported confirmed cases in Northern Ireland and Wales, the total number of UK cases is 35.
All of the newly identified cases are being investigated and health officials have begun tracing anyone who had close contact with them.
As of 9am on Sunday, more than 11,000 people have been tested for coronavirus in the UK – with 36 confirmed as positive.
It comes after the health secretary conceded it was “inevitable” that the deadly virus would continue to spread across the UK.
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Matt Hancock did not rule out following China’s lead in shutting down cities if the Covid-19 outbreak escalates, as he outlined a new “battle plan” by the government on Sunday.
On isolating entire cities, as Chinese authorities did with Wuhan, Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “There is clearly a huge economic and social downside to that.
“But we don’t take anything off the table at this stage because you have to make sure you have all the tools available if that is what is necessary.”
The Republic of Ireland reported its first case on Saturday, while staff members at two separate schools in England were confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19.
On Sunday, St Mary’s School in Tetbury confirmed that a case identified the day before in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, was a member of staff.
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Meanwhile, a staff member at an infant school in Berkshire was confirmed to have tested positive on Saturday.
In an email, Willow Bank Infant School headteacher Michelle Masters urged parents to “remain calm and follow the recommended hygiene procedures”.
A pub in Haslemere, Surrey, has been closed until further notice for deep cleaning after a customer “tested positive for coronavirus”.
A patient in the county was confirmed as the first to catch the illness within the UK on Friday.
The landlords of the Prince of Wales pub said on Facebook that they had no symptoms of the virus and that it was a “precautionary measure only”.
On Sunday, the Department of Health and Social Care announced every department will have a ministerial lead on the virus, and a cross-Whitehall “war room” is being set up to roll out an enhanced public information campaign.
Emergency powers designed to restrict Covid-19 if it becomes endemic, due to be announced this week, would only be “temporary”, said Hancock.
He confirmed that “population distancing measures”, such as banning public gatherings and cancelling football matches, could be considered by the government, while closing schools may be “necessary”.
He added the NHS was ready to deal with further cases of coronavirus, with more than 5,000 emergency critical care beds available.
Elsewhere in the world, Italy says coronavirus infections in the country have jumped by 40% to 1,576, and the number of deaths has risen to 34.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Rescuers Search For Climber Missing After Avalanche In Scottish Highlands

Rescuers are searching for a climber who has not been seen since an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands on Friday.
Andrew Vine, 41, was last seen on the west face of Aonach Mor near Fort William in the Highlands at around 1pm on February 28.
Mountain rescue teams, police and the coastguard are searching the mountain and surrounding area.
Vine is described as white, 5ft 11in, of medium build with ginger/brown hair and a beard.
When last seen he was wearing a red jacket, yellow La Sportiva boots, black trousers and was carrying a yellow rucksack.
Sergeant Ross McCartney, at Fort William, said: “As time passes we are becoming increasingly concerned for Mr Vine and would like to speak to anyone who has seen him since 1pm on Friday, February 28, 2020.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Fort William immediately via telephone number 101, quoting incident number 1915 of February 28.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Katy Perry Says She Doesn't Have 'Close Relationship' With Taylor Swift After Ending Feud

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Katy Perry and Taylor Swift might have buried the hatchet, but they don’t seem to be besties just yet.
Katy has admitted she doesn’t have a “close” friendship with her fellow pop star, after calling time on their long-running feud last year.
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Since 2014, the pair had been involved in one of the most prolific pop feuds of recent times, as documented in their songs Bad Blood and Swish Swish.
It ended when Katy sent a literal an olive branch to Taylor, along with a letter of apology.
Katy Perry and Taylor Swift Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Asked about what their friendship is like now in an interview with Australian magazine Stellar, Katy said: “Well, we don’t have a very close relationship because we are very busy, but we text a lot.”
Praising her former rival, she continued: “I was impressed by her documentary [Miss Americana] because I saw some self-awareness starting to happen and I saw a lot of vulnerability.
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“I was really excited for her to be able to show that to the world: that things aren’t perfect, they don’t have to be and it’s more beautiful when they aren’t.”
Katy and Taylor proved their feud was officially over when Katy made an appearance in Taylor’s video for single for You Need To Calm Down in 2019.
Katy appeared in Taylor's video for You Need To Calm Down Vevo/Taylor Swift
Speaking about the cameo, Katy said: “Even though it was difficult, it was important to make that appearance in the music video because people want people to look up to.
“We wanted it to be an example of unity. Forgiveness is important. It’s so powerful. If you can forgive your enemy, that’s amazing. As difficult as it is!”
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Of their reconciliation, Taylor told BBC Radio in June that “it was just very clear to both of us that everything was different, that we had grown up”, before adding: “Both of us have been in a really good place for a while.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Bob Geldof Opens Up About 'Bottomless' Grief He Feels Over Death Of Daughter Peaches

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Sir Bob Geldof has spoken candidly of the “bottomless” grief he still feels over the death of his daughter Peaches.
Speaking to presenter Tommy Tiernan on Irish TV on Saturday night, Bob opened up about how the “ever-present” loss he feels.
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“Time doesn’t heal, time accommodates and it’s ever present,” he said.
“You’re driving along and you’re at the traffic lights and for no reason whatsoever, the person in question inhabits you and I’ll cry.
“And then I’ll look around to make sure the people next door don’t see me or are taking a photo and posting it or something.
“But that happens and that happens to everyone. And so you say, ‘ok it’s time to cry now’. You just do it to the maximum because there’s no use holding it in.
“Lights are green, or whatever, and then you go. That’ll always be there and you accommodate that.”
Peaches Geldof died in 2014 after a heroin overdose at the age of 25 ASSOCIATED PRESS
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He added: “Once you understand the nature of this because it is boundless and it is bottomless. The grief and the abyss is infinite.”
Peaches was found dead at the home she shared with husband Thomas Cohen and their two sons, Astala and Phaedra, in April 2014.
Her death from a heroin overdose mirrored that of her mother, Paula Yates, who tragically died in the same way in 2000.
In 2016, Bob admitted he had contemplated suicide following Peaches’ death but was saved by speaking to a friend.
He told The Mirror: “I had the sanity, luckily, to phone a friend and tell him, ‘Look I think I’m just starting to get irrational’.
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“He almost slapped my face (with his tone) and said ‘Don’t do anything f***ing stupid, stay exactly where you are’ and came around very quickly. People talk you through these things.”
Zak Hussein - PA Images via Getty Images
Useful websites and helplines:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Greta Thunberg Responds To Graphic Sticker Linked To Canadian  Oil Company

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Greta Thunberg has responded to a graphic sticker linked to a Canadian oilfield company that appears to depict the climate activist being sexually assaulted.
While many supporters were outraged on her behalf, the 17-year-old climate activist has managed to find a positive way to look at it.
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“They are starting to get more and more desperate…” she tweeted on Saturday. “This shows that we’re winning.”
Greta Thunberg pictured at the "Youth Strike 4 Climate" protest in Bristol on Friday. GEOFF CADDICK via Getty Images
They are starting to get more and more desperate...
This shows that we’re winning. https://t.co/NLOZL331X9 — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 29, 2020
The stickers, reading “X-Site Energy Services,” were handed out as promotional material to be worn at jobs sites, a worker told HuffPost Canada. The decal depicts a naked woman and two hands pulling her braids, with the word “Greta” written across her back.
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Michelle Narang, a resident of Rocky Mountain House in west-central Alberta, first brought attention to the decal on Facebook.
She ended up calling Doug Sparrow, a general manager at X-Site, to ask him if he was aware of what the sticker, which appeared to depict the rape of a minor.
“She’s not a child, she’s 17,” he responded, Narang says.
Greta Thunberg speaks during a climate strike at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Oct. 18, 2019. Amber Bracken / Reuters
While the sticker is incredibly offensive, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Friday that it doesn’t constitute as child pornography. Child pornography is defined as the visual representation of a person under the age of 18 either engaged or depicted to engage in sexual activity.
Police said even with the word “Greta” written on it, it can’t be stated with certainty that the sticker is supposed to depict Thunberg.
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“We also don’t feel it’s appropriate, of course, but it isn’t a criminal matter,” RCMP superintendent Gerald Grobmeier told HuffPost on Friday.
The sticker was also condemned unanimously by the Canadian House of Commons on Friday. The motion from MP Alexandre Boulerice said the sticker promoted “violent sexual assault on a young environmental activist.”
Watch:
Alberta’s minister of culture Leela Aheer also denounced the image on Twitter, calling it, “completely deplorable, unacceptable and degrading.”
Thunberg took the world by storm in 2019, motivating thousands of people to take to the streets around the world and join her strike for climate change action. She toured Alberta’s oilsands last October, where she rallied with Mikisew Cree First Nation, and most recently appeared in front of thousands at a climate strike event in Bristol. She was named TIME Magazine’s youngest ever person of the year in 2019.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Schools Could Be Closed And Football Matches Cancelled If Coronavirus Gets Worse, Health Secretary S

Schools Could Be Closed And Football Matches Cancelled If Coronavirus Gets Worse, Health Secretary Says

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Schools may need to close and mass gatherings including football matches could be cancelled if and when coronavirus gets worse, the health secretary has said.
Matt Hancock said scientists believe it is now “inevitable” that Covid-19 will become endemic in the UK – and has refused to rule out the possibility that entire cities could be placed under lockdown.
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On emulating containment measures seen in China at the outbreak of the virus, Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “There is clearly a huge economic and social downside to that.
“But we don’t take anything off the table at this stage because you have to make sure you have all the tools available if that is what is necessary.”
The government is working on a battle plan to deal with the virus which it will publish this week and is also looking at what emergency powers it may need to take.
In the worst-case scenario this could mean closing schools and banning mass gatherings.
Hancock also suggested he may have to ask doctors and nurses to come out of retirement to help with the fight against the disease, also known as Covid-19.
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He told Marr: “It may be necessary - and I’m not saying any of these things are decisions we have taken but it means we don’t rule them out - it may be necessary for instance to close some schools.
“But right now people should not be closing schools if there isn’t a positive case and they don’t have advice from Public Health England.
“And other so-called population distancing measures.”
#Coronavirus: “It may be necessary… to take public distancing measures” such as banning football matches, says Health Secretary Matt Hancock#Marr https://t.co/gGBFD6ehHp pic.twitter.com/RCYqxN3304 — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 1, 2020
Asked about France’s approach - banning all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people, Hancock said: “We are looking at all those sorts of things, we do not rule them out but there is also a problem if you make decisions like that too early.
“The top priority is to keep the public safe but we also want to minimise the economic and social consequences.”
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Marr then pressed Hancock on whether the government could “ban” football matches or big concerts and dissuade people from using public transport.
The health secretary replied: “We’re looking at all options, including those.
“But we will only look at things that epidemiologically, scientifically make sense.”
Hancock stressed everyone had a duty to wash their hands, “catch” their coughs and sneezes, and follow public health advice and instructions to self isolate if necessary.
Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on coronavirus on Monday.
Hancock stressed that the government is currently trying to “contain” the spread of the virus, but once it becomes endemic the government will have to decide how to “delay” it’s growth, and if it came to it the government would then have to take steps to mitigate the damage.
There are currently 23 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK, with experts warning that more patients are likely to test positive as screening of those with symptoms continues.
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Three more patients in England tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, including a staff member at an infant school in Berkshire.
Labour called on Hancock to make a statement in the Commons on the emergency measures on Monday.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “There are growing concerns about our part-time prime minister’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and serious questions about capacity in our overstretched NHS.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Oprah Winfrey Blames 'Wrong Shoes' After Suffering Dramatic Fall On Stage

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Oprah Winfrey has suffered a dramatic fall while talking to an audience during her speaking tour.
The US media personality fell to the floor after losing her footing at The Forum in Los Angeles as she spoke about “balance” in the context of wellness.
The moment was captured on film by the Los Angeles Times and the audience can be heard gasping as Oprah fell.
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However, the star quickly made light of the situation, sitting up and shouting: “Wrong shoes!”
A crew member also rushed on stage to help her up, with her later joking: “It’s nice to be talking about balance and fall!”
Oprah continued some of the show without any shoes, before then putting on some more practical footwear.
Oprah during one of her 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus shows earlier this month imageSPACE/MediaPunch/IPx
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The media mogul is currently touring the US with her Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus show, which delivers motivational talks on wellness.
Special guests on various dates include Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Dwayne Johnson and Jennifer Lopez.
Oprah recently said of the event: “Say goodbye to procrastination, denial, feeling stuck and wishing for a better life.
“This is going to be a day-long party for everyone, celebrating all that you are, and all that you’re meant to be.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Is It Really Possible To Go 'Plastic Free'? This Town Is Showing The World How

As waves crash against the art deco wall of Jubilee Pool in the one of the UK’s most westerly coastal towns, Sam Dean is talking about single-use plastics. Specifically, how to wean people off them.
Dean is the food and beverage manager of the Jubilee Pool Café, which calls itself a ”single use plastic free venue.” Customers will find no plastic straws, cups or cutlery here. Instead there are wooden stirrers, cornstarch straws, and disposable coffee cups made out of a biodegradable material. The café also sells glass to-go mugs.
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“There’s a shame associated with individually wrapped things, and by moving the focus towards reusables we’re enhancing the customer experience whilst improving the quality and provenance of products on offer,” said Dean.
But much more remains to be done, he says. He’s considering making customers pay more for disposable coffee cups to further encourage them to ditch single use plastic.
Sam Dean at the Jubilee Café in Penzance with some of the reusable glass coffee cups he sells. Anna Turns
On nearby Chapel Street ― where 18th century buildings house gift shops, antique stores and boutique guesthouses ― is the natural skincare store Pure Nuff Stuff. Inside, shelves are stocked with bamboo toothbrushes, plastic-free dental floss, solid shampoo and moisturizer bars.
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Emily Kavanaugh, the store’s owner, said she has noticed dramatic changes in people’s buying habits in the town over the last year or two. “We’re now making four times as much soap compared to last year as more people switch from bottled shower gel, and most online customers jump at the chance to opt for plastic-free packaging,” she said.
Pure Nuff Stuff and the Jubilee Pool Café are just two of the businesses that are involved in a huge community effort — involving local residents, schools and government ― to stamp out single-use plastics in Penzance.
In 2017, this town of 21,000 people became the first community in the UK to be awarded “Plastic Free” status by the conservation nonprofit Surfers Against Sewage as part of its Plastic Free Communities initiative.
Those arriving at the picturesque Cornish harbour town by road are greeted by a black sign with “Welcome to Plastic Free PZ, Reduce, Refill, Rethink” spelled out in orange LED lights.
“There’s so much collaboration on every level here in Penzance,” said Kavanaugh. “It’s a small town so we all talk to each other, share ideas and resources and we have a mind to be useful to each other. It’s an exciting time.”
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Emily Kavanaugh, owner of Pure Nuff Stuff in Penzance. Anna Turns
The plastics crisis is increasingly visible everywhere, but especially in coastal towns like Penzance. In 2016, the world produced over 320m tonnes of plastic, a figure set to double by 2034, according to Surfers Against Sewage, which was founded by individuals who live in the region. Approximately 8m pieces of plastic pollution reach our oceans daily, and many of these wash up on beaches. During just one UK-wide weekend beach clean in 2019, volunteers collected nearly 12 tonnes of litter, an average of 558 items for every 100 meters of beach cleaned.
The inundation of plastic waste is the reason Surfers Against Sewage decided to set up the Plastics Free Communities campaign, which targets single-use plastic items such as straws, bags, cups and bottles. It’s a grassroots campaign, with the aim of engaging whole communities in a commitment to take serious steps to reduce plastics.
To qualify for accreditation, communities need to follow a five-point action plan, including securing local government support; working with businesses to reduce their single-use plastics; teaming up with schools and community organisations; holding plastic-free events, like rallies or mass “unwraps” (where people leave the plastic packaging from their groceries at the supermarket checkout); and setting up a diverse local steering group on plastics.
In Penzance, the effort to become plastic free was led by Rachel Yates, a former journalist who is now the Plastic Free Communities project officer.
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An aerial view of Penzance, Cornwall. creacart via Getty Images
Shocked by how much plastic pollution she found during the beach cleanups she organised between 2014 and 2017, Yates felt compelled to try to shift the throwaway mindset of her hometown.
Having grown up in Cornwall, Yates had supported Surfers Against Sewage’s work since the organisation, which mixes grassroots campaigns with lobbying, started in 1990. As soon as the nonprofit launched Plastic Free Communities, she signed up.
“I liked the focus on tackling plastic pollution at the source and also the culture change around single use,” said Yates. “I could see how it could have wider environmental and community benefits in Penzance. ... It just felt a natural next step from organising and doing beach cleans in the area.”
Rachel Yates spearheaded the campaign to get Penzance "plastic free" accreditation. Anna Turns
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As part of the Surfers Against Sewage checklist for accreditation, she needed to persuade at least 12 businesses out of the 800 in Penzance to pledge to eliminate the use of three types of single-use plastics ― bags, straws, coffee cups, packaging ― and replace them with more eco-friendly alternatives like paper straws, cloth bags and reusable cups.
She achieved this within six months and momentum has built steadily since. Today, more than 125 businesses in town are signed up, including cafés, hotels, guesthouses and retailers that encourage customers to bring their own containers for milk, meat, groceries, dried goods and cleaning products. “We’ve put ourselves on the map as a town that cares,” said Yates.
Becoming a Plastic Free Community has had a big impact on Penzance, said Jon Matthews, chair of the Penzance & District Tourism Association, raising awareness and inspiring community leaders and businesses to take the first steps towards positive change.
Matthews hopes this new environmentally conscious identity could help drive economic regeneration in Penzance, which is home to one of the most deprived housing projects in the country. “It makes good business sense to embrace the change,” he added.
Jon Matthews of the Penzance & District Tourism Association, with the town's seawater swimming pool behind him. Anna Turns for HuffPost
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Not everyone is convinced that progress is being made quickly enough. Bruce Rennie, chef and owner of The Shore, a small seafood restaurant at the top of the bustling town centre, filters tap water instead of buying bottled mineral water, uses a SodaStrem instead of ordering sparkling water in plastic bottles, and buys milk in reusable plastic buckets from his local dairy. He already meets the requirements to gain plastic free status — he’s just waiting for the official certificate, but he thinks businesses need to do more.
“Plastic Free Communities is a great way for businesses to have an impact,” said Rennie, “but removing single-use plastic is a basic first step and my concern is that an accreditation is good but, once achieved, the drive isn’t as high to push further.”
He thinks the goal should be much broader, and include minimising energy consumption and other waste. At his restaurant, Rennie minimises food waste by having a set menu and only cooking for pre-booked guests; only buying local, seasonal ingredients; closely monitoring energy usage; and returning unwanted plastic packaging to suppliers — putting the onus on them to dispose of it.
“I’d like to see more pressure on large distributors to remove plastic packaging and perhaps government incentives to switch to reusable packaging,” he said.
Bruce Rennie, owner of The Shore restaurant in Penzance, wishes the town would go further with its environmental campaigns. Anna Turns
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Penzance is not in any sense actually free of plastics yet. A mix of discount stores, fast food outlets and chain retailers in the town have not been easy to persuade to go plastic free, not least because many are answerable to a head office elsewhere and lack autonomy to make that change. Plastic cutlery and non-recyclable food containers are still supplied by some of the takeaway restaurants, plastic bags are available at supermarket checkouts (though in the UK, customers must pay 5p per bag), and fridges full of single-use plastic drink bottles are still found along the high street.
But Yates said this shouldn’t detract from the effort underway. “Accreditation enables a community to put the foundations in place to start tackling single-use plastic,” she said.
The ultimate aim is to eliminate single-use plastic altogether, and fundamentally transform our throwaway culture. “This is about having a long-term goal and commitment,” said Surfers Against Sewage chief executive Hugo Tagholm. “‘Slightly less plastic communities’ wouldn’t be aspirational. Ultimately, accreditation is the start of this journey.”
Of course, truly eliminating plastic waste will require an effort that goes well beyond communities and reaches the corporations that are the world’s top plastic polluters. Break Free From Plastic, a global movement of 1,800 environmental organisations working to reduce plastic pollution, compiles an annual list of the worst polluters, which in 2019 was topped by companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo.
Changing the business models of these companies will require governments to disincentivise the production of single-use plastics and to put responsibility for plastic trash on companies — not consumers. But Surfers Against Sewage, which also lobbies for governmental change, believes Plastic Free Towns are an important way of creating grassroots pressure for these changes. As Lyndsey Dodds, head of marine policy at the World Wildlife Foundation, said in a Guardian article, “One town isn’t going to change the world, but it’s the groundswell that’s important.”
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To date, 104 communities in the U.K. have been awarded Plastic Free Community status, including Caerphilly in Wales and Canary Wharf in London. More than 500 others are seeking the accreditation.
Within the international environmental community, the Plastic Free Communities model has been recognised as a leading example of how to activate communities, according to Emily Penn, an ocean advocate who co-founded the all-female eXXpedition series of sailing voyages, which explore the impact of plastic pollution in oceans around the globe.
“Surfers Against Sewage have been creating a lot of resources and really empowering people to make positive change in their local towns,” said Penn. “It’s fantastic and really tangible because there are so many people now who want to do something but don’t always know where to start.”
Canada, France, Germany, China and Australia have shown interest in expanding the Plastic Free Communities initiative globally, according to Surfers Against Sewage, and that’s something Tagholm is considering.
“We are currently focusing on increasing the reach and impact of the Plastic Free Communities movement in the UK but we are in the very early stages of investigating the feasibility of a global model for the movement,” he said. “We want to get the framework right and the right systems and model in place to ensure success before we do so.”
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Matt Franklin, the European communications officer for Break Free From Plastic, said the program shows how to activate communities and could work well with other ongoing initiatives in Europe.
“Plastic Free Communities is a really valuable approach within the context of a broader strategy,” said Franklin, who believes this community-led initiative complements the Zero Waste Cities movement, a program already in operation in Europe. The initiative, run by the Brussels-based NGO Zero Waste Europe, is primarily aimed at eliminating waste and diverting resources from landfills in more than 400 municipalities. The kind of strategies it implements include “pay as you throw,” which charges households based on the amount of waste they produce, and “deposit return schemes,” where consumers pay small deposits for bottled drinks that they get back after returning empty containers.
“By taking a stand, people are bound together by this common identity, and they’ll fight for that no matter where they live.”
Meanwhile, in the US, some experts believe a growing awareness of the plastics crisis could provide fertile ground for plastic-free communities to take root.
California-based Shilpi Chhotray, senior communications officer for Break Free From Plastic, told HuffPost that “the heart and soul of plastic pollution work in the US is grassroots, and action is happening across the board at a town and city level.”
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Chhotray praised the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program, spearheaded by Surfrider Foundation, a U.S.-based grassroots environmental organisation that accredits restaurants that are working to eliminate single-use plastics from their supply chains. So far, 621 restaurants have replaced Styrofoam and single-use plastic with reusables.
Lonely Whale, an ocean advocacy foundation, has implemented similar programs. Its month-long Strawless In Seattle campaign in September 2017 converted more than 100 high-profile institutions, from the airport to the aquarium and baseball stadium, to switch from plastic to paper straws, removing 2.3m plastic straws from the city. Shortly after, in 2018, Seattle became the first US city to implement a city-wide ban on plastic straws and plastic utensils in bars and restaurants.
“It’s one thing to personally decide against using straws — it’s another thing altogether for a whole business or city to decide to go plastic-straw free,” said Dune Ives, executive director of Lonely Whale.
“We understand the importance of letting policymakers know that their constituency is already in favour of policy change,” continued Ives, “so we focus on cheerleading and engaging people in a fun, non-shaming way so they’re open to conversations about other single-use plastic items.”
For Ives, that’s also the beauty of the UK’s plastic free communities. “Surfers Against Sewage has renormalised what communities are willing to stand for. By taking a stand, people are bound together by this common identity.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Coronavirus 'Battle Plan' Announced As Confirmed Cases Escalate Worldwide

Ministers have confirmed, as part of contingency measures for a pandemic situation, that “broader measures” as part of a “battle plan” will be considered to maximise public safety.
The plans include an emergency registration of retired health professionals and. relaxing rules around school class sizes in case teachers are forced to self-isolate.
Other proposals include potentially recommending more employees to work from home, discouraging “unnecessary travel”, introducing emergency indemnity coverage for healthcare workers to allow them to diagnose or care for those who contract the deadly illness.
23 cases confirmed in the UK
There are currently 23 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK, with experts warning that more patients are likely to test positive as screening of those with symptoms continues.
Three more patients in England tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, including a staff member at an infant school in Berkshire.
Willow Bank Infant School headteacher Michelle Masters informed parents on Saturday that a staff member had tested positive for the strain of coronavirus known as Covid-19.
In an email, Masters urged parents to “remain calm and follow the recommended hygiene procedures”.
“The school will be shut for some days to allow for a deep clean and to ensure that the risk of infection remain(s) low,” she said.
Health officials are also tracing anyone who had close contact with a patient from the Cotswolds area, while one patient was identified in Gloucestershire and another was confirmed in Hertfordshire.
Two of the patients had recently travelled back from Italy while the other had returned from Asia, chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty said.
The Irish Republic reported its first case of the virus on Saturday, where a man from the east of the country tested positive after travelling from an affected area in Italy.
‘Social distancing’ measures planned
Ministers are hoping that a so-called “social distancing” approach could delay the peak of the outbreak until later in the year – potentially helping to combat the virus during warmer weather conditions when it will spread less easily.
The plan, due to be issued across all four nations of the UK, is based on the government’s existing contingency plans for responding to a pandemic flu outbreak, but adapted for Covid-19.
Fears of a wider outbreak in the UK have worsened after a person diagnosed on Friday was found to have contracted the disease without travelling abroad.
Expert teams are actively tracing those who have come into contact with the person, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed.
The PM said: “Coronavirus may very well be a challenge in the weeks and months ahead.
“But I have no doubt that with the help of the NHS and its incomparable staff this country will get through it – and beat it.”
As part of the bid to step up government preparations, Boris Johnson has announced he will establish a “war room” in the Cabinet Office featuring a cross-Whitehall team of communications experts who are responsible for rolling out a public information campaign.
A publicity campaign will be unveiled featuring posters and social media adverts to reinforce the importance of hand-washing for 20 seconds or more with water and soap in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
The PM, meanwhile, will chair his first emergency Cobra meeting about the outbreak on Monday. He has been criticised for not chairing the session earlier.
The chief medical officer and the health secretary Matt Hancock are also expected to give more regular press briefings as of next week to reassure the public.
Other policies being brought in include designating a minister in every Whitehall department to be responsible for its response to coronavirus.
Hancock said: “Public safety is our top priority. Our battle plan will ensure that as this escalates every part of government is working together to share the responsibility of tackling the health, economic, and social impacts of Covid-19.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Jon Ashworth: Nobody Understood Labour's 'NHS For Sale' Message

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The moment the exit poll dropped will be forever imprinted on the memory of Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth.
“Because I’m such a political nerd, I could quickly work out what seats we were losing,” said the shadow health secretary. “Through my head was flickering all the faces of colleagues who I knew were probably not going to survive the night.”
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Boris Johnson went on to secure an era-defining 80-seat majority while Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour faced its worst general election defeat since 1935.
“I hadn’t seen any internal polling,” he added. “I didn’t expect the scale of the defeat.”
Ashworth, who tried to convince voters their NHS was “for sale” in a US-UK trade deal, has many regrets about the election campaign, but does not dodge his share of the blame.
“Of course [Jeremy Corbyn] came up on the doorstep, but there’s no point blaming it on one individual,” he said.
“We will be remembered as the shadow cabinet that delivered the worst defeat since the 1930s. We can’t get away from that.”
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Handing Johnson an early election was a “massive strategic error”, he says, but it was one the party could not escape once the move was supported by the Lib Dems and SNP.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth Peter Summers via Getty Images
“Every general knows that you don’t fight on the turf the other general wants you to fight on,” he added, admitting Johnson’s “get Brexit done” broke through early on.
Turning to his own brief, Ashworth said that – instead of highlighting the risks of a Donald Trump trade deal – Labour should have put everyday NHS failures “front and centre” and “been consistent in the same way that Boris Johnson was consistent”.
“When he wasn’t talking about Brexit, he was talking about the new hospitals and extra nurses,” said Ashworth.
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“I think the concerns about the way in which a trade deal locks in the liberalisation of contracting in the NHS are legitimate, but I think in the end people either understand it or didn’t worry about it.
“The British public didn’t think it was the most relevant issue for them in their experience of the NHS. We should have been putting much, much more emphasis on waiting lists, on cancer waiting lists and children’s mental health.”
From left, Labour leadership candidates Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Keir Starmer ASSOCIATED PRESS
The battle for Labour’s future is on, with shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, campaigning Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey in the running to be the next leader.
Ashworth is frustrated that the leadership contest will drag on until April 4, however, as he is keen to “get back in the ring” and take Johnson on over his response to the floods and coronavirus.
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“This is clearly becoming very, very serious now,” he says. “We are likely to have more coronavirus cases in this country – there’s no question – and we know the NHS is under considerable strain.”
Last year, the NHS recorded the worst A&E waiting times on record, while 17,000 beds have been cut since 2010 and the health union Unison has estimated there are more than 100,000 staff shortages.
“Should we see a huge escalation of coronavirus cases in this country,” he said, “I think there is a legitimate question over whether the NHS has enough resources to cope.
“If I was the health secretary I would be banging on the door of the chancellor asking for an emergency boost to funds as a contingency.”
Ashworth is backing Nandy for the Labour leadership, as he agrees with her analysis that Labour needs to recover its prospects in towns.
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“So we’re still building up majorities of 20,000-plus in the cities like Leicester, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds,” he says.
“But there’s no point me in me having a massive majority of 20,000 if we can’t win back Mansfield, and we’ve lost Derby North and we’ve lost Bolsover.”
He regards Nandy as a “fantastic media performer” and “the real left-wing voice in the contest”.
“When you look at her interviews with Andrew Neil and Piers Morgan, I’d go so far to say they left those interviews looking a bit bruised.” - Jon Ashoworth on Lisa Nandy
“When you look at her interviews with Andrew Neil and Piers Morgan, I’d go so far to say they left those interviews looking a bit bruised,” he said.
“And isn’t it isn’t it nice to see a frontbencher really knocking it out of the park in a high pressure media interview? That hasn’t always happened recently.”
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She was also one of the leading figures for a Brexit compromise, unlike the clear favourite, Starmer, who is often accused of pushing too hard for Remain.
Ashworth pointed out, however, that the shadow cabinet faced unrelenting pressure from from its pro-EU members.
“People now saying that [Starmer] bounced us into a position actually have to explain to us why we should have ignored party conference,” he said.
“Is their position that we should have stifled Labour Party democracy? Because often on many of the other issues that we face, we’re told that party members have to be in charge of policymaking.”
He rejects criticism that Starmer, who previously led the Crown Prosecution Service, could prove to be a grey leader in comparison to Johnson.
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“I think he’s impressive when you look at his background – for example his handling of the McLibel trials and on human rights – and the way he has forensically taken the Tories apart on Brexit in the House of Commons,” he says.
“I don’t think he’s boring at all. I think he can be quite exciting. But then it’s also about the team is going to put together around him.”
After years of divisions under Corbyn, he is hopeful the party can move on regardless of who emerges victorious.
“These are perilous times for the Labour Party,” he said. “We’ve got to pull together.”
He adds: “My worry is we are forgetting how important it is to get back into government. If we lose next time, that’s probably the longest period we’ve ever been out of government in our history.
“We have to win again. And that’s not about ‘compromise’ or any of these things that get bandied around.
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“If we don’t get back into government, we’re not failing ourselves as individual politicians and we’re not failing ourselves as people who go to the local CLP meeting – we’re failing the working class, we’re failing the people are sleeping on the streets and we’re failing the children who are growing up in poverty.”
The Leicester South MP is hopeful of remaining shadow health secretary but admits the new leader “might sack me”.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth PA
“There’s loads of really, really good shadow ministers who are knocking on the door of the shadow cabinet and really I would encourage and hope the new leader is looking to them.”
Before entering parliament, Ashworth worked as an adviser to Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman but says people incorrectly see him as on the party’s right-wing.
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Should Bernie Sanders win the Democratic nomination, Ashworth says he will go to America to campaign for him.
“I always get so written up as some sort of moderate,” he said.
“But I suppose I’m more of a curious figure – because the policy agenda on public services, economics and austerity is an agenda which I’m very enthusiastic about, and one that I would not want to see a future move away from,” he says.
“I think the work Jeremy did in pulling the Labour Party in that direction was correct and welcome.
“We cannot go back to the days of splitting the difference with the Tories and printing anti-immigration slogans on pieces of crockery.”
He says the Tories will stumble and Labour has “got to be in the ring” and ready.
“I think we’re more likely to see Matt Hancock riding Shergar at Newmarket than we are a social care plan.
“But it doesn’t matter if I buy it – it matters if the British public buy it.”
He added: “It’s a four- or five-year parliament and, even though the Tories have got a big majority, I think they’re there for the taking.
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“They’re talking about levelling up, but are they really going to resolve the issues that people have, such as child poverty or homelessness?
“At the next election, people will start saying: ‘Hang on a minute – you promised us 40 brand new hospitals. He promised all these nurses, a social care plan and that you’ll get waiting lists down. Where is it?’
“I think there will be opportunities for the Labour Party to challenge them in the coming years.
“He’s told the British people that he is going to build them 40 new hospitals, that he is going to deliver them 50,000 extra nurses, and that he is going to get waiting lists down.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Ola And James Jordan Welcome First Child After Fertility Struggle

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Ola and James Jordan have become parents to a baby girl.
The ex-Strictly Come Dancing professionals announced the birth of their daughter on Twitter on Saturday night.
It is the first married couple for the couple, who had undergone a “tough process” of IVF.
Ola Jordan and James Jordan PA
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Ola shared a picture of her baby’s hand, writing: “She’s here and she is perfect. #Mummy.”
Husband James showed off the newborn’s feet and wrote: “I’m the happiest man in the world #daddy.”
I’m the happiest man in the world #daddy pic.twitter.com/ss0SSqJlw5 — James Jordan (@The_JamesJordan) February 29, 2020
Ola and James were trying for a baby for nearly three years before undergoing fertility treatment.
James previously described Ola getting pregnant as the couple’s “biggest achievement”.
He told Hello magazine: “We’ve been with each other for 20 years, married for 16, travelled the world, achieved amazing things in our careers: trophies, accolades, Ola won Strictly Come Dancing, I won Dancing On Ice. But finding out that we are pregnant is no doubt our biggest achievement ever.
“This is probably the most special and exciting thing that has ever happened to us.”
Ola joked: “When we had the scan it was funny because the baby was dancing. I’m not sure if it was a cha-cha or a jive, but it was definitely dancing.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--The 10 Most Popular Instagram Recipes From February 2020

The Daley Plate/Completely Delicious/Half Baked Harvest
When we want to know what people are craving at any given moment, we take a look at the HuffPost Taste Instagram account and its most-liked recipes, which come from a curated list of experienced food bloggers.
Between the colder temperatures, the launch of political debates and all the feelings that Valentine’s Day brings (whether they’re good or bad), it seems February has made our readers turn to carbohydrates. Eight out of the top 10 recipes this month featured them, including four pastas, a cake, two grilled cheeses and a smorgasbord of pancakes. And they look absolutely irresistible.
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While carbs have a bad reputation, they also offer us plenty of benefits, from increased energy to digestive regularity. So dig in to these most-loved recipes and see what all the fuss is about.
10. Smoky Tomato Soup
Two Peas And Their Pod
9. Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo
Half Baked Harvest
8. One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo
Half Baked Harvest
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7. Ravioli With Peas, Prosciutto and Burrata
The Daley Plate
6. 20-Minute Summer Squash Pasta With Brown Butter and Goat Cheese
How Sweet Eats
5. Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs
The Daley Plate
4. Tres Leches Confetti Cake
How Sweet Eats
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3. Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Half Baked Harvest
2. French Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese
Half Baked Harvest
1. Build-Your-Own Pancake Board


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Why Some Happy Couples Choose To Sleep In Separate Bedrooms

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser; Photos: Getty A good night's sleep can do wonders for a relationship.
James* has been married for two decades, but it wasn’t until a couple years ago that he and his wife started sleeping in different rooms.
″[My wife] would constantly kick me awake to stop my snoring, then we would try to race each other back to sleep. Doing this 20 times a night meant no one was getting any decent sleep,” he told HuffPost.
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It may not be the traditional setup, but it works for them.
“We have had a couple of friends say how they could never do this — it’s against what marriage is about,” James said. “But let me tell you: Marriage is a lot better when everyone’s well-rested and not grumpy.”
Not much research exists about couples who sleep apart at night. A 2005 National Sleep Foundation report found that 23% of couples opt for separate beds, although one 2017 survey put that number at 14%.
Many people attach a stigma to this less conventional sleeping arrangement and assume it’s a sign that a relationship is on the rocks. While some couples may sleep separately because of marital discord, it’s often for a more practical reason like James and his wife: They just want a good night’s sleep. Maybe one partner snores and the other is a light sleeper. Maybe they have different bedtimes and wake-up times. Perhaps one needs air conditioning or a fan blowing year-round, while the other is perpetually cold.
Whatever the reason, these issues can get in the way of quality shut-eye — and that’s not good for either partner.
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Sleeping apart has its benefits.
Getting good sleep on a regular basis is good for your mental and physical health, as well as the health of your relationship.
When you’re well-rested, you are generally a more patient, pleasant and loving version of yourself. When you’re exhausted, you’re more likely to wake up cranky and combative.
A 2013 study from the University of California, Berkeley, confirmed what anyone in a relationship knows to be true: that couples tend to have more frequent and more severe fights after getting poor sleep. And if your partner is the reason you didn’t sleep a wink, then it’s really going to cause some friction.
“Feelings of resentment that build from lying awake each or most nights are destructive for a relationship,” Jennifer Adams, author of “Sleeping Apart Not Falling Apart,” told Good Housekeeping. “And dealing with those feelings of resentment when sleep-deprived is not recommended.”
Separate bedrooms can help a relationship “flourish” because both partners are finally getting the sleep they need, Adams added.
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What’s more, when you snooze in different rooms, you can each tailor your own sleeping conditions to your heart’s content. James and his wife now keep their respective bedrooms at their preferred temperatures (76 degrees for her, 70 for him).
When people learn about the couple’s unorthodox sleeping arrangement, their first question is usually about how it’s affected their sex life. Turns out, their sex life hasn’t taken a hit ― it’s actually improved.
“Instead of our evenings being tired all the time, we are able to have romance time more often,” James said. “And if we stay up late, it’s not as hard to recover losing that sleep time as we sleep so much better apart.”
“As far as who goes where, it depends,” he added. “We sort of just follow each other into each other’s bedrooms or slip back and forth whenever the mood strikes.”
“Let me tell you: Marriage is a lot better when everyone’s well-rested and not grumpy.” - James
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Five years into their relationship, Kimberly* and her husband started sleeping separately after she sprained her ankle. She moves around a lot in her sleep, so she thought it would be better not to risk bumping it against him in bed. During this time, Kimberly said she and her husband discovered they actually got better sleep apart than they ever did together. So they kept it going.
“We both snore and I’m a bed hog, even with a king-size bed,” she told HuffPost. “It works out pretty well, especially since we have different work schedules and I usually stay up later than him. I can go to bed at 2 or 3 in the morning without worrying that I’ll wake him.”
Here’s what to know if you’re going to try it
While this arrangement works well for some couples, for others, it may strain the relationship depending on why the couple decided to move to separate rooms in the first place.
“Whether it does damage to the relationship is found in the question of why they are sleeping apart: Do both partners agree to it? Is it temporary?” Becky Whetstone, a marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost.
For example, if you and your spouse are sleeping apart so that your children or pets can sleep in the bed instead, that decision could potentially breed hostility down the line.
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“If you are choosing to be with your child over your mate, this says, ‘I value my child over you,’” Whetstone said. “The partner left behind will almost always resent this. In a healthy marriage, your spouse comes first over your child, except in rare and temporary circumstances.”
If you’re contemplating sleeping in separate bedrooms simply to get better sleep, there are a few things to keep in mind so that the arrangement doesn’t damage the relationship:
First, figure out where the sleep issues stem from.
Get to the root of the snoring, sleep talking, tossing and turning or insomnia. Enlist the help of a physician, sleep specialist or therapist who may be able to help you find a solution to the problem, whatever it may be.
“Your noisy or antsy partner could be suffering from a sleep disorder or anxiety problem that could be resolved through therapy, medication or behavioural interventions, which could result in each of you experiencing a restful night’s sleep,” clinical psychologist Ryan Howes told HuffPost.
That means you both can set a goal of sharing a bed again once the situation gets addressed.
“Recognise that sleeping together builds connection and intimacy, and not just sexual,” said Kurt Smith, a therapist who specialises in men’s counselling. “Losing that time together requires an effort by both partners to make up that loss elsewhere.”
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Be more intentional about intimacy.
It’s still possible for couples who sleep apart to cultivate intimacy ― they just need to make more of an effort to do so.
“One partner will need to join the other for cuddling, sex and other intimate expressions of love and desire,” Howes said. “They can trade off. Sleep may be a problem, but affection doesn’t need to be sacrificed as well.”
Be willing to make adjustments.
One partner is often more in favour of separate rooms than the other, Smith said. So check in with your spouse regularly to make sure the set-up is still working for them. If not, be open to making some compromises.
“A couple I’m counselling right now has slept in separate bedrooms for a few years now. She thinks it’s great because she gets a restful night’s sleep, but he hates it because it’s also killed their intimacy,” Smith told HuffPost. “To address this, we’re negotiating a couple of nights a month when they do sleep together as well as more effort for physical touch, such as snuggling while watching a show together.”
Keep an open-door policy.
You don’t need to actually leave the bedroom door ajar if you’re a light sleeper, but your partner should know that they’re welcome to come in any time.
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“I’d recommend that partners not get too precious about ‘my room’ and ‘your room’ by restricting access or locking doors,” Howes said. “This can challenge the trust the relationship was founded on, raise suspicions and cause a partner to feel shut out or rejected.”
Sync up your sleep schedules, if possible.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time can be tricky if the partners have different work hours or if one is a night owl and the other is an early bird. But do your best to make an effort.
“Given how busy we all are, partners may struggle to find time to regularly connect with each other, and the loss of sleeping in the same bed just compounds this challenge,” Smith said. “I often hear couples describe their daily routines using the phrase like, ‘ships passing in the night,’ because they hardly see each other.”
Expect mixed reactions from others.
Not everyone will understand your decision to sleep in separate bedrooms, and that’s OK. “Some people are envious, while others seem confused and say we just seem like roommates,” Kimberly said.
James and his wife have received similar responses from their friends and family.
“It’s sort of funny because every time they find out, one of them gets a light in their eyes like they would love to do that, too, and the other one shoots it down,” he said. “I’ll also say probably one out of 10 couples we know also have separate bedrooms for pretty much the same reasons we do.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--We Tried Greggs' Vegan Hot Cross Buns – Here's What We Thought

“Since becoming a Monday-Friday vegan (hey, I’m trying) in April 2019, I’ve found baked goods have been the more successful replacements. If you replace milk and butter with non-dairy alternatives, they’re almost indistinguishable – and it’s the same with these.
“The hot cross buns let the currants do all the work with a nice level of sweet tang and moistness (sorry, I know everyone hates that word). I didn’t detect much orange-tinged flavour, though. You could slip this to your non-vegan friends with no fuss. There’s no glaze though and I did miss that.”
Rating: 3.5/5
‘I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference’
Amy Packham, assistant Life editor
“Hot cross buns are lush when toasted with butter, but I often have them as they come – straight out the packet. I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference when I tried Greggs’ vegan treat – the same sweetness, fluffy bun, and odd currant as a non-vegan, buttery bun.
“I’m sure if it was toasted it’d taste just as good, too. I was told after I ate it all that it was meant to have an orange flavouring to it, which I couldn’t taste. But that didn’t make a difference to me. I’d buy these!”
Rating: 4/5


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-01--Hello, Please Stop Man-Bashing My Husband As A Conversation Starter

HuffPost UK
It’s a weekday afternoon, I’m working upstairs – as usual – in the box room / laundry graveyard I call my office, when I hear an unexpected knock at the front door. Then I hear the racing footsteps of my two young sons as they run excitedly to open it, with my husband in tow.
An auntie has arrived for an impromptu visit. She’s not a true auntie, but a family friend of my kids’ grandparents’ generation. And she seems scandalised by what she sees when the door opens.
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“Boys!” She exclaims. “Whatever going on here?” Briefly I worry that my toddler’s removed his nappy, again, to swing it solemnly around his head like a lasso, but it’s not that. “What has happened? What on earth is Daddy doing looking after you? We can’t have that. Where’s Mummy? Is she ill?”
The issue, it seems, is the children being in their father’s care, rather than mine.
But this is always the arrangement – my husband and I are both full-time freelancers, so we stagger our working hours to accommodate nursery, work and general existence. It’s a ramshackle system, but it works for us – and has done for the past two years.
I can hear my husband explaining this as he leads the auntie further into the house. I hear the auntie say, “News to me,” in rather disapproving tones, before their voices fade away. How weird, I think, and continue working
Later that week, my husband and I are telling a neighbour about our new vacuum cleaner – don’t hate me because my life is too glamorous for you – when the neighbour interrupts my husband with, “Rubbish! What would you know about vacuum cleaners?”
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She’s smiling, but she’s also shouting. Then she says to me: “I bet he doesn’t even know where you even keep yours.”
Malte Mueller via Getty Images
Another time, I’m packing my groceries at the supermarket, trading toddler war stories with the checkout lady, as my own son wails in his trolley seat, because I stopped him from upending a magazine display.
But, when I let slip that my husband is cooking dinner tonight, the checkout lady makes this noise: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA.” It’s a laugh, but one so loud and high and mocking that even my tantrumming son falls silent.
“Oh, excuse me, is it his majesty’s annual turn to cook tonight?” The checkout lady hoots. “I hope you’ve got backup fishfingers!
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“Because they always ruin dinner, even when they’ve used every pan in the house. And do they wash up afterwards? Do they buggery. Hahahahaha.”
Following a successful first playdate with my older son (success criteria: no tears during; mutual tears on separation), my husband collects our son from her house, but it’s me the other kid’s mum calls to set up the next play date: “I did think of asking your other half just now,” she admits. “But then I thought, don’t be ridiculous! Ask the dad about your schedule? Yeah, right!”
To my shocked silence – this is possibly the first “yeah, right” I’ve heard since 1991 – she adds: “It’s okay, my hubby doesn’t know one end of a calendar from the other, either.”
ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY SHUT UP. What is going on, please? When did we all decide, as mums, that casual and indiscriminate husband-bashing was acceptable as a social signal of goodwill instead of, say, the word “hello”?
My older son only started primary school last year, so I’ve only just graduated after five years in the warm, safe bubble of new-mumhood, and it’s jarring to find that, here in postgrad parenting, the social currency, at least in some parts, is the flagrant denigration of menfolk, regardless of whether they deserve it.
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Now I’m awake to it, I hear it all the time – “he calls it babysitting”; “he’s so stupid I let him think he’s doing a good job, then I do it myself later”; “can you believe he just sat there?” – in cafes, in the schoolyard, even among my own parent friends.
I used to wonder, privately, why some of those friends were even with these people they seemed to hate so much. But when I paid closer attention, I saw the imbalance in their relationships.
I saw how my friends often maintained the cogs and wheels of the household, and how their partners would treat them a bit like an Alexa – wandering into wherever their partner was baking 500 cakes, entertaining upwards of five children, or writing a work report – asking for the name of one of their own relatives; which foodstuff their own daughter was allergic to – tree nuts, or shellfish (when even I know it’s both of those, and eggs); for a sandwich.
And I realised my friends, however inadvertently, had been sold a lie at the beginning of the relationship. A relationship they thought was equal, but that somehow ossified into stereotypical gender roles. I’d be bitter, too.
In our household, my husband is the domestic one. I’m not totally useless, but his cooking repertoire is much broader than mine; he’s better at playing with the kids; and when my chronic illnesses flare up, he’s the one who has to step up and take care of everything as well as providing the income.
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So while I completely understand the background behind husband-bashing, I refuse to engage with it, and especially not as a virtue-signal.
Instead, I’m sticking with all the lessons I learned as a new mum. New mums offer each other encouraging smiles in the street; say you look amazing when you’re 90% Sudocrem and dry shampoo; and hold your baby because they understand what a 20-minute nap means to you.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Carrie Symonds And Boris Johnson Announce Pregnancy and Engagement

The prime minister and Symonds were “very pleased” to make the announcement.
Former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson was one of the first to congratulate the couple.
Retweeting the news, the MSP wrote: “Congratulations to Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds.”
Davidson, who had been critical of Johnson during the European referendum campaign, stepped down as Scottish leader last year to spend more time with her young family.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--British Mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Suspected To Have Caught Coronavirus In Iranian Jail

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe PA Wire/PA Images
The family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe have said they fear she has caught coronavirus whilst imprisoned within an Iranian jail.
A press release issued by the Free Nazanin Campaign claims that despite reports of at least one coronavirus-related inmate death inside the notorious Evin prison, staff are refusing to test her.
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Zaghari-Ratcliffe family revealed on Friday that she was at risk of contracting Covid-19, and on Saturday said they had spoken to her on the phone and she had reported cold-like symptoms.
She told her family: “I am not good. I feel very bad in fact. It is a strange cold. Not like usual.
I know the kinds of cold I normally have, how my body reacts. This is different.
I am just as bad as I was. I often get better after 3 days. But with this there is
no improvement. I haven’t got one bit better.
“I have difficulty breathing and pain in my muscles, and fatigue. I do not pant,
but I am finding it hard to breathe.”
At least 210 people in Iran are believed to have died after contracting the virus, hospital sources told the BBC on Friday – the highest number outside of China.
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According to reports the majority of deaths have been in the capital of Tehran. The Evin prison, where Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being held, is located in a northern suburb of the city.
Although the prison has not yet had any confirmed cases of the virus, reports have emerged of at least one coronavirus-related death.
According to her family the prison has failed to provide proper health checks, despite Zaghari-Ratcliffe reporting her symptoms to guards, and access to hygiene facilities and cleaning products is becoming increasingly limited.
Supplies of medication are also reportedly running low within the prison, and while guards have reportedly been tested for the virus, inmates have not.
In a statement released via the Free Nazanin campaign, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said: “There is the feeling of being stuck somewhere, with no way out. We have no
choice but to endure what comes. We are stuck, and it is scary.”
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“I can’t believe this is now happening. And even with this they still they won’t
let us go. They just keep away. It makes my heart sore. Please take me
home.”
“I wish they are fair, and don’t let me rot here. I haven’t done anything wrong,
and my baby needs me as much as I need her. I want them to stand up for
justice. It is in the government’s power to do so.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 41-year-old charity worker from north London, has been imprisoned in Tehran since 2016, when she was arrested and accused of spying while visiting family – allegations she strongly denies.
Her husband Richard Ratcliffe said: “The prison is avoiding confirming whether Nazanin has coronavirus – but I would be surprised if she doesn’t. There are enough symptoms, and the authorities are just too reluctant to see.
“A lack of transparency can cost lives – this is true in so many aspects of our
case as four years of game playing have shown.”
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“The Iranian regime’s preference is always for opaqueness, and to maintain
an uncertainty of suffering. But there is no time for that here. Orders need to
be given to get Nazanin and all the political prisoners tested. And to honestly
treat the results. This epidemic is not time for selective responsibility by any
of our leaders ”
“The question for me is no longer whether coronavirus is in Evin Prison – the
actions of the Iranian authorities are clear that there is something to hide. The
issue now is how to get Nazanin treated and tested.”
The Free Nazanin campaign has issued a fresh plea to the PM to intervene in Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case.
Richard added: “We also look to the PM – to make clear that is the minimum his government now expects.
“Our job is to remind the prime minister, government is always about choices
– the choice to visibly protect, the choice to be busy with other things. To
date, the government has chosen to leave Nazanin in harm’s way – and we
have endured all we have. But it has choices ahead of it. And I hope the PM
takes charge of them.
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“Both sides [are] playing a waiting game – Iran waiting to see if they get their money next month. The UK waiting to see if Iran will release Nazanin at the end of her sentence or carry out the threat of that second court case.
“Meanwhile the wind still blows on us, and now it brings with it coronavirus – and a hope that Nazanin still has enough resilience in her immune system.”
An Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are urgently seeking information from the Iranian authorities on reports that coronavirus is spreading in Evin prison, including to British-Iranian dual nationals.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--It's Official: This Is The Wettest February On Record

Tewkesbury Abbey, at the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Avon, is surrounded by flood waters on February 27. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
February 2020 is officially the wettest February on record, the Met Office have confirmed.
Latest rainfall data, taken at 9am on Saturday, reveals that UK average of 202.1mm has fallen – smashing the previous record of 193.4mm, recorded in 1990.
🚨Breaking news 🚨
Latest rainfall data (up to 9am 29th Feb) reveals that February 2020 is now the wetttest February on record
A UK average of 202.1mm has fallen, beating February 1990 where 193.4mm fell
Full statistics will be released on Monday pic.twitter.com/QLserAKZzA — Met Office (@metoffice) February 29, 2020
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The news is not likely to come as a surprise to much of the country, which has been battered by heavy downpours across four consecutive weekends, and is currently in the midst of its third named storm – Jorge – in a month.
With multiple rivers breaking their highest-ever levels, some communities have been left almost perpetually underwater as the floodwater rises.
There are currently 86 flood warnings in place, with 216 “be prepared” flood alerts also issued by the environment agency.
On Saturday morning South Wales Police issued a “critical alert” following a night of extreme rainfall.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Three New Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In The UK

Included in the above figures are three further patients in England who have tested positive for #COVID19, bringing the total number of UK cases to 23.
Two have recently returned from Italy and the other from Asia.
Further details 🔽 pic.twitter.com/2OotIPRLk5


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--American Troops To Leave Afghanistan After US And Taliban Sign Peace Deal

The US has signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing troops to return home from America’s longest war.
Under the agreement, Washington would draw its forces down to 8,600 from 13,000 in the next three to four months, with the remainder withdrawing in 14 months.
The complete pullout would depend on the Taliban meeting commitments to prevent terrorism.
Then-president George W Bush ordered the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. Some US troops currently serving there had not been born when the World Trade Centre was attacked.
It only took a few months to topple the Taliban and send Osama bin Laden and top al Qaida militants scrambling across the border into Pakistan, but the war continued to drag on as the US maintained its presence.
The Taliban regrouped and currently hold sway over approximately half of the country.
The US spent more than $750b (£583b) and on all sides the war cost tens-of-thousands of lives.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo attended the ceremony in Qatar, where the Taliban have a political office, but did not sign the agreement. It was signed by US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The Taliban harboured bin Laden and his al Qaida network as they plotted, and then celebrated, the hijackings of four airliners that were crashed into lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania, killing almost 3,000 people.
Pompeo had privately told a conference of US ambassadors at the State Department this week that he was going only because Donald Trump had insisted on his participation, according to two people present.
Dozens of Taliban members had earlier held a small victory march in Qatar in which they waved the militant group’s white flags, according to a video shared on Taliban websites.
“Today is the day of victory, which has come with the help of Allah,” said Abbas Stanikzai, one of the Taliban’s lead negotiators, who joined the march.
Trump has repeatedly promised to get the US out of its “endless wars” in the Middle East, and the withdrawal of troops could provide a boost as he seeks re-election in a nation weary of involvement in distant conflicts.
Under the agreement, the Taliban promise not to let extremists use the country as a staging ground for attacking the US or its allies, but officials in Washington are reluctant to trust the Taliban to fulfil their obligations.
The prospects for Afghanistan’s future are uncertain. The agreement sets the stage for peace talks involving Afghan factions, which are likely to be complicated.
Under the agreement, 5,000 Taliban are to be released from Afghan-run jails, but it is not known if the Afghan government will comply.
There are also questions about whether Taliban fighters loyal to various warlords will be willing to disarm.
It is also not clear what will become of gains made in women’s rights since the toppling of the Taliban, which had repressed women and girls under a strict brand of Sharia law.
Women’s rights in Afghanistan had been a top concern of both the Bush and Obama administrations, but it remains a deeply conservative country, with women still struggling for basic rights.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Friends' Courteney Cox Has A Suggestion For Who Could Be Joey In A Recast Version

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Courteney Cox has two words for anyone interested in recasting Friends with younger actors: Timothée Chalamet.
The actor appeared on Kevin Nealon’s YouTube series Hiking With Kevin earlier this week, and the pair chatted about her time on the hit NBC show.
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Kevin asked at one point who Courteney would cast as each of the six main characters if the show were rebooted with younger actors.
“Well, Timothée Chalamet can be Joey,” she said without missing a beat, adding: “He’s so great.”
Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, and Timothée Chalamet Shutterstock
Joey, of course, is Joey Tribbiani, who was played by Matt LeBlanc.
Courteney and Kevin also mused that Jonah Hill could be a good fit for David Schwimmer’s Ross Geller. Sadly, they didn’t offer casting options for anyone else.
The duo also discussed the highly anticipated Friends reunion that was announced last week.
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“So, the exciting thing is that we’re all going to get together for the first time, in a room, and actually talk about the show, and it’s going to be on HBO Max, and I’m so excited,” she told Kevin.
“We’re going to have the best time. It’s going to be great. But we really haven’t all done that and actually sat there and talked about and reminisced about this incredible experience that we had. It’s going to be fantastic.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Corbyn Urges Starmer To Publish List Of Labour Leadership Campaign Donors

Jeremy Corbyn Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged party leadership election frontrunner Keir Starmer to publish a list of the donors backing his campaign.
Ahead of a full interview to be published next week, the Islington Gazette released extracts of their conversation with the Labour leader, in which he also said his preferred shadow cabinet position would be in foreign policy, if he was given the option.
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Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy have in recent days both released lists of donors who have contributed more than £1,500 to their campaigns, putting pressure on Starmer to do the same.
Asked if Starmer should release details of his donors, Corbyn said: “Yes. I think there always has to be openness in all respects, and when you receive financial support for a political campaign it’s very important to know where it comes from, all of it should be published.
“I published everything in my leadership campaigns.
“The number of high-level, big ticket donors we had was very small, I leave that to others.”
Starmer told ITV’s Robert Peston on Thursday: “There are very strict rules. The Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary rules require you to register all your funding and then to publish it and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
When asked about what shadow cabinet position he’d like to fill, if given the option, Corbyn said: “I think foreign policy actually because I have spent my life on human rights justice and environmental justice issues.
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“But that’s not up to me, that’s up to the next leader.
“I will be working on human rights, environmental and social justice whatever position I hold or don’t hold.”
He also told the Gazette that the socialist project he had led since his election in 2015 would continue, with the leadership candidates backing anti-austerity policies, a green industrial revolution, and bringing and end to Universal Credit.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Helen Mirren On Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Exit: 'Their Instincts Are Absolutely Correct'

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Helen Mirren may not be royalty, but she’s played the part enough to know what comes along with the job description.
The actor, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film The Queen, recently spoke to Variety about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step back as working members of the royal family.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s exit comes months after the prince slammed the tabloids’ “ruthless campaign” of “relentless propaganda” against Meghan. He has also previously spoken out about the racist and sexist comments written about his wife.
Taylor Hackford, Dame Helen Mirren and Princes William and Harry at the Audi Polo Challenge in 2014 David M. Benett via Getty Images
“I think their instincts are absolutely right, and I applaud them for it,” Helen told Variety. “Hugely, actually. Of course, it is complicated.”
“Meghan Markle was a fantastic addition to the royal family – charming, did everything right, was gracious, was sweet natured,” Mirren added. “What a lovely addition. Didn’t seem to be neurotic.”
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“So, I think it is a loss in a way, but at the same time I think their instincts are absolutely correct,” the actor said. “And I think it will all, hopefully, sort itself out, and the tabloid pearl-clutchers will get over their trauma at not having someone to attack all the time.
“They’ll find another victim … probably me,” she added, laughing.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Chris Jackson via Getty Images
In recent weeks, many celebrities have applauded the couple’s decision to step back, become financially independent, and split their time between the UK and North America.
Jameela Jamil said she was “so happy” for the couple at the time. Jameela had previously called on the press to just “say you hate her because she’s black” when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came under fire for taking private planes last year.
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Harry recently arrived back in the UK, where he will soon be joined by Meghan, to carry out the last of the couple’s official royal duties, which end on 31 March.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Liar Series 2: What To Expect As The 'Who Killed Andrew Earlham?' Plot Begins

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ITV’s thriller Liar is finally back on our screens in March as the second series opens the next chapter in Laura Nielson’s story.
The show – which focussed on school teacher Laura’s fight to prove she had been raped by surgeon Andrew Earlham – was a huge hit when it aired in 2017, becoming ITV’s highest-rated new drama of the year, with the final episode drawing over nine million viewers.
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As the new series has been over two years in the making, you might need a little refresher as to what’s happened so far and pointer of what to expect from the new episodes. And as luck would have it, we can help with that...
ITV's Liar is returning for a second series ITV
How did series one of Liar end?
Series one of Liar ended with the discovery that rapist Andrew Earlham had been murdered.
Laura Nielson was able to prove he had raped her and 19 other women after finding recordings of his attacks that he had been storing in his mother’s garage.
After a warrant was issued for his arrest, the action then flash-forward three weeks, where it was revealed he had escaped arrest by going on the run. Or so we thought...
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Andrew’s body was then seen lying lifeless and bloodied in the Kent marshes, setting up the second series with a ‘whodunnit?’.
Remind yourself of the full story so far with this handy series recap ITV has put together below...
Where does series two pick up?
As mentioned, the very end of series one jumped forward three weeks to reveal that Andrew had been murdered and the new series picks up with the discovery of his body.
Out of town officer DI Karen Renton is put in charge of the case, and together with DS Rory Maxwell, they begin to unpack the events of the three crucial weeks leading up to his death.
But while she has tried to move on with her life, Laura is thrown back into Andrew’s destructive path when she becomes one of the prime suspects in the murder case, and once again must fight to be believed.
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Laura is a key suspect in Andrew's murder ITV
Meanwhile, as the hunt for the killer gains momentum, other members of the seaside community are hoping some secrets stay buried...
Who killed Andrew? The early theories...
After the second series was announced back in 2017, theories immediately began swirling online as to who was behind Andrew’s murder.
Twitter user @kvtiehawke made a convincing argument that Laura’s ex-boyfriend PC Tom Bailey killed Andrew, suggesting the two could have been part of a ring of rapists.
We’d been saying all along that there was something dodgy about Tom and thought Andrew may not have been working alone, so this would certainly make sense.
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However, actor Warren Brown’s name does not seem to appear in the cast list for series two, suggesting the character does not return – as Warren hinted to HuffPost UK back in October 2017.
It doesn't look like Tom (Warren Brown) will feature in the second series ITV
Andrew’s son Luke also came under suspicion from some viewers, with some noting a guilty look he had in the final episode.
During a scene in Luke’s bedroom, he seemed to realise Andrew had raped Laura, and having become implicated in his father’s lies after providing him with an alibi, he may have decided to stop Andrew before he could hurt anyone else.
Andrew Earlham's son Luke ITV
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However, many fingers also pointed in the direction of Jennifer, the wife of DI Vanessa Harmon.
Having been in the military, Jennifer would’ve had the strength to take on Andrew, and certainly had the motive for wanting him dead after he also raped Vanessa.
Jennifer (left) has also come under suspicion ITV
And while bosses have confirmed Andrew was murdered, some also believed he killed himself in a bid to fit up Laura.
Who is in the Liar series two cast?
Returning to the cast are lead stars Joanne Froggatt (Coronation Street, Downton Abbey) as Laura Nielson and Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower, King Arthur) as Andrew Earlham. While Andrew is obviously dead, he will still feature in flashbacks and dreams that will eventually piece together to reveal his killer. Jamie Flatters (So Awkward) is also back as his son Luke Earlham, who was in Laura’s class at school.
Also among the returning cast are Shelley Conn (Merseybeat, Mistresses, Terra Nova) as DI Vanessa Harmon, the detective who investigated Laura’s allegation of rape and was later attacked by Andrew herself; Danny Webb (Alien 3, Henry VIII, Doctor Who) as DS Rory Maxwell, Harmon’s second in command; and Jill Halfpenny (EastEnders, Waterloo Road, Strictly Come Dancing) as Harmon’s wife Jennifer Robertson.
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Also back are Zoë Tapper (Stage Beauty, Survivors, Demons) as Katy Sutcliffe, Laura’s older sister who worked with Andrew at the local hospital; and Richie Campbell (Waterloo Road, Eve, The Frankenstein Chronicles) as Liam Sutcliffe, Katy’s husband.
Kieran Bew (Rellik, Warrior) also plays Ian, Laura’s new boyfriend.
L-R: Zoe Tapper as Katy Sutcliffe, Sam Spruell as Oliver Graham, Richie Campbell as Liam Sutcliffe, Joanne Froggatt as Laura Nielson, Ioan Gruffudd as Andrew Earlham, Katherine Kelly as DI Karen Renton, Shelley Conn as DI Vanessa Harmon, Amy Nuttall as Winnie Peterson, Kieran Bew as Ian and Howard Charles as Carl Peterson ITV
Joining them for series two are Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street, Mr Selfridge, Cheat) as DI Karen Renton who leads the investigation into Andrew’s murder; Sam Spruell (Snow White & the Huntsman, Taken 3) as Oliver Graham, an enigmatic figure who arrives in town and has a connection to Andrew’s past; Amy Nuttall (Emmerdale, Downton Abbey) as Winnie Peterson, a nurse who worked with Andrew before he died and whose marriage has been disturbed by the discovery of the tapes; and Howard Charles (The Musketeers, The Widow) as her husband Carl Peterson, who is an army veteran whose life is spiralling out of control.
When is Liar series two on?
Liar begins on Monday 2 March at 9pm on ITV and then continues for the following five weeks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Priti Patel's Top Civil Servant Quits After 'Campaign Against Him'

Rutnam’s refusal to carry out Patel’s orders is said to be one of the factors that has led to a breakdown in their relationship.
Relations between the pair were said to have deteriorated to such a level that Patel has blacklisted her permanent secretary’s staff and is cutting them out of regular day-to-day meetings.
Prior to Rutnam’s resignations there had been reports that Patel had demanded his removal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Linda Robson Reveals Stacey Solomon Helped Her To Rehab After 'Meltdown' During Loose Women Holiday

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Loose Women panellist Linda Robson has told how Stacey Solomon helped her to rehab after suffering a “meltdown” during a trip to Ibiza with her co-stars.
The Birds Of A Feather star recently revealed that she had turned to alcohol after suffering with severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.
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Linda has now opened up about the breakdown she suffered 18 months ago during the ITV stars’ “girly holiday” in the hope that she encourages others to get help.
Linda Robson was on holiday with her Loose Women co-stars when she suffered what she described as a "meltdown" Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Linda said: “From the day I got there, I just wanted to go home because my anxiety was so bad.
“I’d sneaked a couple of bottles of vodka with me, just to knock me out at night, but it wasn’t working.
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“I’d already had a couple of sleepless nights and, by the third, I ended up having a proper meltdown.”
Things were so bad Stacey then flew back to London early with Linda and helped her family get her into rehab.
Linda and Stacey Solomon are close friends David M. Benett via Getty Images
She said: “I was in a terrible state, so we played games on her phone just to try to distract me.
“I was thinking, ‘What am I going to do? Where am I going?’ I was scared, embarrassed and ashamed because my kids had been told their mum was in a state and needs help.”
After stays in a number of different clinics, Linda later discovered her erratic behaviour was being caused by a rare allergic reaction to an anti-depressant.
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Linda previously revealed she had been drinking to “self-medicate” before seeking treatment, and now hasn’t touched alcohol in 11 months.
She took a year off from her role on Loose Women as she recovered and returned to ITV daytime show last month.
Useful websites and helplines:
Mind , open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-29--Dave's Brit Awards Performance Attracts Ofcom Complaints

Dave’s performance had been blasted by some right-wing critics, including the following morning on Sky News, when Tory MP Priti Patel called the suggestion that Johnson is racist “utter nonsense”.
“I don’t know what those comments are based on,” she added. “It’s wrong to make judgements about individuals when you don’t know a particular individual, as in the case of the prime minister. He is not a racist at all and I just think those comments are highly inappropriate.”