thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Heart-Breaking Moment Son Is Prevented From Comforting Mum At Socially-Distanced Funeral

'When I want to give my mum a cuddle at dad’s funeral, a man flies out mid service shouting stop the service and makes us split' .
A council has apologised after members of a grieving family were forced to stop comforting each other during a funeral.
Footage from the Crownhill Crematorium in Milton Keynes revealed two mourners moving their chairs closer and embracing a weeping woman at her husband’s funeral – one of whom was her son.
Advertisement
A suited and masked man is then seen striding into the frame and ordering them to move away from each other.
The son told the MK Citizen: “We are absolutely heartbroken... I can sit in a restaurant, I can sit in a pub, I can live at her house, I can travel in a limousine to the crematorium with six (people).
“But when I want to give my mum a cuddle at dad’s funeral, a man flies out mid service shouting stop the service and makes us split.
Advertisement
“It scared my daughter and shocked everyone in the room… It was a devastating day made even worse.”
A spokesperson for Milton Keynes Council told HuffPost UK: “We are sorry to have upset this family.
“We don’t usually step in if a guest needs to be comforted by another family member and in this instance should have taken a more considered approach.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Boris Johnson To Embrace Wind Power After Years Of Saying How Rubbish It Is

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Boris Johnson will today pledge that every home in the country will be powered by offshore wind within 10 years, as he commits to a green industrial revolution that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
A noble cause indeed. But not one the PM has always been an advocate of.
In fact, he’s positively ridiculed wind power on a number of occasions.
Speaking to the Conservative conference, Johnson will say: “I remember how some people used to sneer at wind power, 20 years ago, and say that it wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding.”
Advertisement
And it’s no surprise he can remember it, because it was him saying it. In 2013 while Mayor of London, he said: “Labour put in a load of wind farms that failed to pull the skin off a rice pudding.
He added: “We now have the opportunity to get shale gas - let’s look at it. It is part of the 2020 vision we have for this city - power generation is vital.”
Johnson also dismissed a call to divest £4.8bn pension fund from oil, coal and gas saying UK needs fracking to avoid relying on energy imports.
Shale gas has since failed to take off but Johnson never failed to grasp an opportunity to knock renewable energy.
Advertisement
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds an electric vehicle charging cable during a visit to the headquarters of Octopus Energy in London. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Later in 2013, he wrote a column for The Sun on Sunday titled “Turbines won’t do job.. let’s go nuclear, in which he described wind farms as a “disease” that have blighted Britain’s countryside and the UK should instead, you guessed it, embrace fracking.
“It is a good 20 years since I last drove all the way to Scotland and in the interim something unbelievable has been done — in our name — to our green, pleasant and precious countryside. I mean the windmills, the turbines… whatever they are called,” he wrote.
“I mean the things that look like some hideous Venusian invasion, marching over the moors and destroying the dales. The colossal seaside toys plonked erratically across our ancient landscape.“
But today all that will be forgotten as he embraces renewables.
The PM will say the coronavirus crisis should be used as a catalyst to make the UK world leader in clean power generation.
The wind power plan will see £160m made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across areas like Teesside and Humber in northern England, Scotland and Wales as the next generation of turbines are built.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Royal Fans Freak Out At Hearing Prince George, Princess Charlotte And Louis Speak For The First Time

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Cambridge kids are front and centre in a recent video from Kensington Palace, and royal fans are losing it over hearing their voices for the first time.
The siblings, who often appear in photos and occasionally accompany their parents to certain royal engagements, all take turns asking renowned broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough questions in a clip posted over the weekend.
Advertisement
People thought Prince George seemed so grown up, Princess Charlotte looked so much like her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, and little Prince Louis had found perhaps the cutest way to say “animals.”
Wearing a bright red and blue shirt, George, 7, was the first to appear on camera and said, “Hello, David Attenborough. What animal do you think will become extinct next?”
Once the environmentalist answered, Charlotte, 5, was up next.
“Hello, David Attenborough. I like spiders. Do you like spiders too?” the little one said with a smile, quickly running through her question.
Louis, 2, was last, but certainly not least, when he asked Attenborough, “What amimal do you like?”
Advertisement
“I just realised that I never heard their voices,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “It’s so nice to hear their voices! Cuteness overload!!”
Some also thought that Charlotte sounded just like her mum, Kate Middleton, while everyone was in agreement over Louis’ adorably quick “amimals” appearance.
Kate, Prince William and all of the kiddos recently spent time with the naturalist after the Duke of Cambridge got a special screening of Attenborough’s new Netflix film, “A Life on Our Planet,” in the gardens of Kensington Palace.
The duke is getting a nature documentary of his own with the ITV special “Prince William: A Planet for Us All,” which premieres Monday night in the U.K.
Advertisement
While speaking with camera crews nearly two years ago, William revealed that he “always loved nature,” but his kids have given him “a new sense of purpose.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Extend Half Term And Shut Bars To Keep Schools Open Amid Second Wave, Top Scientist Says

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Half term should be extended and bars closed in order to keep schools open amid a second wave of Covid-19, one of the UK’s top scientists has said.
Professor Neil Ferguson, who was a leading figure behind Imperial College London’s pandemic modelling which informed the government’s decision to initiate a lockdown in March, said harsher restrictions should be considered in order to combat transmission – particularly in secondary schools.
Advertisement
Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, Ferguson explained that the current rate of infections had occurred in “a very different context” to the restrictions across Europe earlier in 2020, with schools and universities now open.
He said: “While we don’t think primary schools are a major vector of transmission, older teenagers do transmit the virus and we don’t yet know whether we can control this virus with high schools open as yet.
“We’re in a more difficult position. If we want to keep schools open we have to reduce contacts in other areas of society.”
Asked if the government should consider closing schools as they are in New York, where rates of the virus are also rising rapidly, Ferguson said he didn’t think closures should be considered “right now” as the increase in infection rates is currently much higher in the US than the UK.
Advertisement
He added: “But you’ll have heard measures being discussed in society as a whole, such as extended half terms where we try to reduce transmission for a concerted period.
“I think those measures should be considered. I’m certainly not one to say we should close schools – it’s highly disruptive to children’s education and social wellbeing, but we just have to accept that in other areas we may have to give up more in order to keep them open.”
In reference to the decision in Paris to close all bars in a effort to reduce transmission, Ferguson said: “We see from the contact tracing being collected by the government that if you look at the risk factors for becoming a case, in the last few weeks, then attending bars, restaurants and hospitality venues is a risk.
“Yes we may need to, particularly in hotspot areas where cases are increasing fast, we may need to consider those measures.”
While Ferguson said that an extended half term and bar and restaurant closures should be considered, he explained that a ban on meeting other households outside – as seen in some local lockdown areas already – may not be necessary over the entire country.
Advertisement
He said: “If people are sensible meeting outdoors then really the risk is quite low. I think the risk really comes from meeting indoors in enclosed environments.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Graham Norton Admits There Could Be One Permanent Change To His Chat Show After The Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Graham Norton Show’s pulling power for A-list Hollywood stars is unrivalled on British TV, but the host fears they may never sit on his famous red couch ever again.
Graham has admitted he thinks a switch to them appearing virtually could last well beyond the pandemic.
Advertisement
Speaking to Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show, Graham said he doesn’t know if celebrities will ever travel in the same way post Covid-19.
The Graham Norton Show attracts some of the biggest A-listers BBC
“Film stars may never fly around the world again promoting films because we’ve discovered you can sort of do it without leaving their house, so who wants to leave their house?” he said.
“Well, maybe a lot of people after lockdown.”
The last series of the BBC show saw Graham hosting from home with guests appearing remotely.
As the show returned to the studio last week, there were a number of changes that saw the usual red sofa replaced with individual chairs so guests were spaced apart, while Riz Ahmed and Dolly Parton appeared virtually.
Advertisement
The usual set up on The Graham Norton Show was changed as it returned to the studio last week PA
Graham also admitted he did not enjoy fronting his show from home, calling the experience “awful”.
“It wasn’t easy but now we are at least back in the studio and we have camera guys and sound guys, it’s so much closer to normal,” he said.
“It’s still not normal. There are 120 people in the audience spaced out, instead of 600, but it does feel much closer and I think for a viewer at home it feels much closer to the ordinary show.”
Among the guests joining Graham in the studio and remotely this week are Ewan McGregor, Ashley Banjo and Miley Cyrus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Paddy Considine Lands Lead Role In Game Of Thrones Prequel House Of The Dragon

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The forthcoming drama series is set 300 years before the events of Game Of Thrones and will tell the story of the Targaryen family.
Advertisement
One of their descendants, Daenerys Targaryen, was a major character in the main series and was played by Emilia Clarke.
Paddy, who is known for his roles in the likes of Dead Man’s Shoes, Pride, Hot Fuzz, The Death Of Stalin and Peaky Blinders, will play the “warm, kind and decent” Viserys in House Of The Dragon.
Paddy Considine Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, and wished to continue his grandfather’s legacy.
Advertisement
Fans of George RR Martin’s books will know Viserys’ children, Rhaenyra and Aegon II, would fight a civil war over his throne in what became known as the Dance Of Dragons.
George serves as a co-creator on House Of The Dragon, alongside Ryan Condal. It is based on the book Fire & Blood.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--CNN Host Loses It Over Trump’s ‘Bulls**t’ Coronavirus ‘Propaganda’ Video

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Monday night said he wouldn’t play the clip with audio of President Donald Trump speaking from the White House after being discharged from Walter Reed hospital, where he was treated for the coronavirus.
Cuomo dismissed the footage as “propaganda.”
“I’m not going to play it for you. Why should it?” he said. “How much bullshit do you need in your life?”
Advertisement
Trump in the video claimed that he’s better and that he might be immune to Covid-19 now. And he told Americans “don’t be afraid of it” and “don’t let it take over your lives.”
Cuomo just about had it.
″‘Don’t let Covid control your life,’” he said, mocking the president’s words. ”Nobody wants it to control their life. They don’t have any choice.”
Then he called out Trump for denying Americans the same level of care he had in fighting the infection:
"Don't be afraid of Covid? 10,000 have died in the last 13 days. Don't be afraid of Covid? It just took down the most powerful and protected person in the world... his continued recklessness makes it impossible to be sympathetic."
- @chriscuomo on Trump's Covid-19 response pic.twitter.com/rtgoYVGkHh — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) October 6, 2020
Advertisement
“His continued recklessness makes it impossible to feel sympathetic,” Cuomo said. “I feel for his wife. I don’t even know how she’s doing. They only talk about him.”
The CNN host also called out Trump’s doctors for the lack of information they’ve provided about the president’s health:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Claudia Winkleman Reveals The Hilarious Reason She's Never Told The Strictly Line-Up

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As the presenter of Strictly Come Dancing, you might think Claudia Winkleman would be among the first to know the line-up each year.
Not so.
The host has revealed the reason why bosses have to keep it a secret from her until it is revealed to the public – and it is to do with her being “leaky” (her words).
Advertisement
During an appearance on The One Show on Monday night, Claudia told hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas: “I am the last person. In 2006 when you two weren’t born, I was doing It Takes Two which was the sister show.
“They brought me in and they said ‘we’re going to give you the list and we’re going to give it to you quite early but you can’t tell a single soul’ and I was like ‘of course I won’t’.
Claudia Winkleman on The One Show BBC
Claudia continued: “And it was very important we passed around crisps and they told me the names and then I went off with my little backpack and go in the lift and someone said: ‘oh don’t you do the sister show, who is taking part?’
Advertisement
“And I told them the whole…I was like ‘this, this, this and this, won’t they be good if they danced with so and so?’
“It was not his fault it was mine, and the next day he went ‘by the way she’s a bit leaky’, so now they tell me nothing.
“They bring in Tess, they take Dave Arch to one side and say ‘this is who’s doing it’, and then they’ll tell me pretty much after the press,” she added.
Advertisement
The show has made a number of changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, including running for four weeks less than usual.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday 17 October. The One Show airs weeknights at 7pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Daniel Craig Channels RuPaul In His Advice For The Next James Bond

LOADING ERROR LOADING
After 14 years in the role, Daniel Craig recently overtook Roger Moore as the longest serving James Bond, so he knows a thing or two about playing the British spy.
So whoever takes over the role after Daniel’s final outing as 007 finally hits cinema screens (and it’s now an even longer wait), the British actor has some sage advice for them.
Advertisement
Daniel Craig SIPA USA/PA Images
The star of the last five Bond films appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon days after the announcement his last outing, No Time To Die, would now be delayed until April next year.
When asked what advice he had for the next person to take on the role of the iconic spy, Daniel replied: “Don’t fuck it up.”
Advertisement
Shantay, you stay Daniel.
The actor then added: “It’s a beautiful, amazing thing. Leave it better than when you found it.”
Last week it was announced that No Time To Die will hit cinema screens in April 2021 – a year later than its original release date because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking about the delay, Daniel said: “This thing is just bigger than all of us.
“We just want people to go and see this movie in the right way and in a safe way.
“We want to release the movie at the same time all around the world and this isn’t the right time. So fingers cross April 2 is going to be our date.”
No Time To Die also stars Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch and Ana De Armas and is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, with a script co-written by Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
The film finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--'They're Hiding Things': Sanjay Gupta Reveals What Trump's Doctors Aren't Saying

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CNN’s Dr Sanjay Gupta said the rosy picture of President Donald Trump’s health painted by his medical team “doesn’t make sense” in light of what’s known about his battle so far with the Covid-19 coronavirus infection.
Trump was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday as his condition worsened, including a high fever and a drop in oxygen levels that required supplementation.
Advertisement
Since then, Gupta said, there’s been “a lot of inconsistencies” coming from Trump and his team, including White House physician Dr Sean Conley.
Conley on Sunday admitted Trump’s blood oxygen has dropped below normal twice, and that he needed supplemental oxygen at least once. He is also on at two experimental treatments.
Gupta, who is CNN’s chief medical correspondent, questioned that timeline and pointed to “worrisome” signs about the president’s health.
“I’d have to say that they’re hiding things,” he said, pointing to a long history of Trump and his doctors not being transparent.
Advertisement
Conley, he said, is “clearly ... being told what to say and what not to say and how to present things.” That, Gupta said, makes it “very hard to trust or believe” information coming from Trump’s medical team.
Then, Gupta went through a list of questions they should answer.
“We need to know that status of his lungs,” he said. ”It’s unbelievable to me that we’ve asked that question so many times.”
He said doctors should release the results of chest X-rays and CT scans, if the president has pneumonia, how much inflammation he has, oxygen levels and a treatment plan.
“Interestingly, they said his cardiac, liver and kidney function are normal or improving,” he said. “Well, improving from what? Because you said they were normal yesterday as well, so were they not normal at some point?”
Gupta also questioned the whole timeline of Trump’s diagnosis and treatment.
“This whole story still doesn’t make sense,” he said. “He was diagnosed on Thursday night and had such a quick decline? Not likely.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Trump Suggests He's Immune To Covid Despite Still Having It, In Tone Deaf Video

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump has claimed he might be “immune” to coronavirus despite being still infected with the disease, still contagious, while returning to his workplace.
In a video from the White House on Monday evening, the president said “we’re going back to work” and dismissed any concerns he might spread the disease to others.
Advertisement
“And I know there’s a risk,” he said. “There’s a danger. But that’s okay, and now I’m better. Maybe I’m immune. I don’t know”.
Trump also told Americans not to be afraid of the virus and said vaccines “are coming momentarily”.
Any potential vaccine is still at least months away from being ready.
He continued: “We have the best medical equipment. We have the best medicines all developed recently, and you’re going to beat it. I went … I didn’t feel so good.
“And two days ago, I could have left two days ago. Two days ago, I felt great. Like, better than I have in a long time. I said just recently … better than 20 years ago.
Advertisement
“Don’t let it dominate. Don’t let it take over your lives. Don’t let that happen.”
He continued: “We have the greatest country in the world. We’re going back. We’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front. As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there’s danger to it, but I had to do it.
“We have the best medicines in the world, and they’re all happened very shortly, and they’re all getting approved.”
Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19 last week and has been receiving treatment at the state of the art Walter Reed Hospital where he stayed for only three nights.
He is still suffering from the virus, is almost certainly still contagious and gasped for breath during a photo op when he returned.
Trump looks like he is gasping for air pic.twitter.com/4k2v4Jxlir — Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) October 5, 2020
Advertisement
The US president appeared not to care about infecting photographers or staff as he walked up the staircase of the White House South Portico, removed his surgical mask, and posed for pictures, at times giving a thumbs-up and others a salute.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is the latest Trump staffer to test positive for Covid-19, adding to a long list of people close to the president who now have the virus.
Coronavirus has killed more than one million people worldwide and more than 210,000 in the United States alone - the highest death toll of any country.
1,429 Americans died from COVID-19 while Donald Trump was in the hospital. — Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) October 6, 2020
Trump, 74, has not had a fever in more than 72 hours and his oxygen levels are normal, his medical team told reporters in front of the hospital. The doctors declined, however, to discuss any toll the disease could have on the president’s lungs or disclose when Trump last tested negative for the coronavirus.
Advertisement
The team added that the president had received supplemental oxygen twice in recent days.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Alec Baldwin Hits Back At Gripes That Mocking Sick Trump Is Offensive

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Alec Baldwin, who reprised his goofy portrayal of Donald Trump opposite Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live last weekend, has hit back at “the perception we’re mocking [the president] while he’s sick.”
Responding to criticism that the cold lampooning of the first debate was insensitive, Baldwin explained himself on Instagram. (Fast forward below to the 6:30 mark for the bulk of his argument.)
Advertisement
A few jokes subtly alluded to the president’s Covid-19 diagnosis. But Baldwin said that if Trump were gravely ill, the show “wouldn’t go near that.” His doctor and spokespeople were giving upbeat updates on him, suggesting he wasn’t in real danger, Baldwin noted.
“We only have their word to go by,” the actor said. “And if their word had been that he was in serious trouble, then we probably wouldn’t have done it... I can assure you we wouldn’t have done it.”
In the sketch, Baldwin’s loopy Trump at one point says, “The China virus has been very mean to me in being a hoax,” adding, “That statement will probably come back to haunt me.”
Advertisement
Carrey’s Biden declares: “I believe in science and karma. Now just imagine if science and karma could somehow team up to send us all a message about how dangerous this virus can be. Looking at Trump, he adds, “I’m not saying I want it to happen. Just imagine it did.”
As for the show skewering Trump for his combativeness and interruptions during the debate, that was fair game, Baldwin said.
“We thought the debate was something topical, and we didn’t have anything with him in a hospital bed,” Baldwin said. “You’d have to have a very good reason to avoid that, topicality-wise, and nobody thought that they were mocking somebody’s illness by doing that.”
The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski was among those not impressed.
“Anybody who thought Saturday Night Live might choose sensitivity in the wake of President Trump being diagnosed with COVID-19 was proven wrong immediately during the show’s uncomfortable Season 46 premiere,” the critic wrote in his review.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Why Parents Take Remembrance Photos After Pregnancy Loss And Stillbirth

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend shared their heartbreaking pregnancy loss news with an emotional message and remembrance photos taken at the hospital.
Teigen had been on bedrest due to pregnancy complications and was admitted to the hospital for excessive bleeding. Following the loss of her son, she shared a series of black-and-white photos documenting the gut-wrenching experience, including one that shows her holding the swaddled baby, whom the couple named Jack. Teigen’s mother, Vilailuck Teigen, posted similar photos and a video on Instagram.
While friends and followers offered an outpouring of love and support for Teigen and Legend, there were also comments questioning their decision to share such personal photos ― and even take them in the first place.
Advertisement
“Why did you have a photoshoot? I’m very sorry for your loss but why did you have a photoshoot?” wrote one commenter.
What those commenters likely don’t know is that these kinds of photos are not terribly uncommon and that taking and sharing them can play a powerful role in the healing process for bereaved parents.
″‘A picture is worth 1,000 words’ still holds true today, and in times of grief, photos help us capture things that we only have one chance to get to remember,” Dan Reidenberg, a mental health expert and executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, told HuffPost. “In very painful situations like theirs, they have so many emotions going on. Photos will help them hold on to this over time, so when they are in a different place with their grief they will be able to look back at them and remember how real it all was.”
Advertisement
“In moments like these, life can feel surreal, but photos help remind us it was real,” he added. “Jack was here and, sadly for only moments, he was with them and that is the only time in their lives that they will be able to capture them.”
Gina Harris is the CEO of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep ― a nonprofit founded in 2005 to provide remembrance photography to families suffering the loss of a baby. She told HuffPost she first learned about NILMDTS in 2007 when she gave birth to a stillborn son she named David.
“I thought, ‘Is this taboo? Is this appropriate to be taking photos of my son?’” she recalled. “But when I saw how beautiful they can be, I decided to get photographs. I thought, ‘Even if I never look at them, it’s something I’ll never have the opportunity to have again.’”
Harris said her photos of David turned out to be her “most prized possession” and served as a healing reminder that he was real and what she experienced was real. She noted that there have been research articles about the healing power of remembrance imagery and other such rituals.
there are many people who specialize in stillbirth photography and do it for free. the suffering is multiplied by the sense that the life hadn’t even had a chance to be documented, made real. photos help. — doreen st. félix (@dstfelix) October 1, 2020
Advertisement
“Photos can help us remember details that we don’t remember because our emotions were so powerful and all-encompassing during the crisis period,” Reidenberg explained. “Photos can give us perspective on how we have worked through our grief too. When we look at photos of the first few days and then later we look at them we can see how hard it was on us while also how strong we are to have made it through some of the darkest moments in our lives.”
In our era of modern technology, capturing and sharing images has become an integral part of our lives and the way we tell our stories when words fail.
“I have seen that most parents immediately agree to remembrance photos because they are creating lasting memories,” said Carolina Villegas, a mental health therapist at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. “This type of loss can be a very lonely experience. Women in perinatal support groups have shared that finding the words and speaking about their loss is painful, and so sharing the pictures with loved ones and people they trust helps open their communication.”
Friends and family who want to support grieving parents often don’t know what to say either, so responding to a photo post can be a way in to start showing support and help alleviate some of the pain.
“The greatest way to remember a loved one is by sharing stories about their life,” said licensed marriage and family therapist Saniyyah Mayo. “Psychology teaches us that the way to healing is by talking about the pain. The more you talk about tragic events in your life, the less power it has over you. It is the same reason why people go to therapy. They talk about their pain, which allows them to take the power away from the pain and transition that power into strength.”
Advertisement
For parents who had very little time with their babies, the story can lie in the photos captured in that fleeting moment. Harris noted that remembrance photos are also a good way to document the existence of the babies, as most states don’t offer birth certificates in these instances.
“You had this pregnancy, you carried this baby for many months, you delivered the baby, hold the baby, know it’s real, and there’s no documentation of their existence,” she said. “That’s what photographs do.”
Over the past 15 years, NILMDTS has completed nearly 50,000 sessions. The nonprofit also offers retouching to families who took such photos themselves and train nurses to capture these moments if a photographer isn’t available or the baby’s condition would make the task difficult for a non-medical professional. Additionally, the organisation offers “remembrance walks” for families to honour their babies after miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any type of pregnancy or infant loss.
“I honour and recognise the babies I lost as my children, just as I do my living son,” Harris said. “I think it helps to acknowledge them and make people understand that you went through a loss. Oftentimes, people don’t really see it as a loss because they never met the baby.”
Advertisement
Harris emphasised that remembrance photography is not necessarily for everyone, and it’s important to respect whatever personal decision parents make for their families. Still, she added, she’s never heard of any of NILMDTS clients express regret over taking the photos, even if they choose not to share them or look at them very often.
Harris also noted she’s seen fewer critical and negative comments about remembrance photography in recent years, though as Teigen’s post shows, there’s still some judgment around this practice.
“For someone who’s never lost a baby, it may be hard to understand,” she said. “Hopefully they will never have to be in that position to photograph their baby who has died, but like anything in life, you can’t pass judgement on people, especially if you haven’t been in that circumstance. And I’ve certainly seen much more disturbing photographs online than pictures of beautiful babies.”
She attributes any backlash to Teigen’s post to her level of fame and the fact that people are not very comfortable with the subject of death, especially the death of a baby, which goes against the natural order of things.
Advertisement
“When somebody older passes away, people don’t usually photograph them because you have lots of pictures of them when they were alive,” she said. “But actually back in the 1800s when photography was new, often the only time someone was photographed was after they died. There’s a large collection of postmortem photography from that era, so what we’re doing isn’t necessarily a new concept.”
In our modern era, sharing remembrance photos can have a powerful impact, not only from a personal healing perspective, but also in breaking down the stigma around discussing pregnancy and infant loss.
It's okay for her to share her joy but it's not okay for her to share her grief and pain and heartbreak in her own terms, in her own way? You don't know what people find power and peace in. People are so cruel — Bolu Babalola (@BeeBabs) October 1, 2020
Chrissy Teigen won't see the nasty shite you write about her, but your pals who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and baby loss will. — éilís🦝 (@eilisnifhear) October 1, 2020
“Many mothers that have had a loss expressed that listening to someone else going through the same thing they did validates what they have gone through, and it opens communication to shared feelings and thoughts they may not have had a chance to speak about before,” said Villegas.
Advertisement
Sharing the painful parts of our lives helps others feel less alone in their struggles, which can be very healing as well.
“More people have had losses than you realise,” said Harris. “There are so many hurting people who have lost a baby and a lot of people who don’t understand the depths of pain they go through. Maybe her post will inspire them to reach out for support, and maybe the comments from people who have experienced the same thing will help with her grief.”
Reidenberg said he applauds Teigen and Legend for having the courage to share something so intimate and painful, which is difficult for everyone to do but perhaps more so for celebrities who face extra scrutiny. He believes posts like these normalise grief and encourage people to be more open with their thoughts and feelings as they process trauma.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Could The Second Wave Spark Riots? We're Entering Very Dangerous Territory

LOADING ERROR LOADING
In the beginning it seemed as if we were all in this together.
There was one straightforward set of rules for everyone – stay at home – and by and large everybody abided by them.
But now, nearly all that we read points to how things are becoming more fractious.
The rules are so diverse and so complicated that not even the prime minister knows them anymore.
Patience is fraying. Opposition to Covid measures is growing (even local mayors are threatening to reject local restrictions). House parties are mushrooming.
Advertisement
The relations between those who support and those who oppose these measures are growing ever more bitter – more bitter, it seems, than the rift between Remainers and Leavers during the Brexit debate.
So, will these resentments and divisions flare up into open conflict? Will we see Covid riots on the streets of Britain?
In order to answer that question, it is important to get behind the headlines and consider the actual state of the nation.
To start with, there was never total agreement on how to respond to the pandemic. For sure, adherence was high. But even back in May about 10% of the population was resisting the lockdown.
Advertisement
And the idea that our problem is the mushrooming of house parties and raves and other flagrant breaches of regulations is dangerously misleading.
This is strikingly illustrated in unpublished data from the Scottish police. Out of 440 calls to domestic gatherings, only 13 involved more than 15 people. The great majority were a matter of people inviting a few extra visitors than they should. And when the police knocked on their door they complained “we’re not the problem, we aren’t having a party”.
“The issue isn’t simply that people don’t like the measures, but that many are starting to question their legitimacy.”
The point is not only that this picture of widespread resistance is wrong, but that it carries the danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Advertisement
If you tell people that everyone else is breaking the rules it normalises such behaviour and makes people feel that there is little point in them observing the restrictions.
If you focus on atypically major infractions, it makes people feel complacent about their own minor infractions. So, it is critical not to overplay the level of dissent.
But equally, it is crucial not to underplay it.
Even if the majority are adhering, there certainly is some slippage in some critical areas, such as socialising with others.
And the issue isn’t simply that people don’t like the measures, but that many are starting to question their legitimacy.
As we moved from one simple national set of rules to a complex mixture of measures applied differently in different places, this was always going to be a problem.
Advertisement
There were always going to be inconsistencies that undermined the rationale for restrictions (why can one meet others in a pub but not outside in one’s own garden?).
But the problems have been greatly exacerbated by a combination of two factors. The first is that, as implied in the language, the application of “local lockdowns” has been one-sided, stressing what people must not do and lacking in support to help people do it. Consequently “lockdown” has been experienced as punitive and stigmatising.
The second is that they hit some – notably the most – more than others, leading to growing unemployment and financial hardship. Desperation and stigma in the present engage with (and are amplified by) a deep historical experience of unfairness. Lockdown comes to be seen as exemplifying a long litany of insults aimed at deprived communities.
But, while a key component, this sense of collective illegitimacy is not in itself sufficient to create riots. For that, one needs an event that crystallises such abstract feelings, that brings people together, and which creates a tangible target.
Characteristically such events involve the police. In a number of countries, the combination of restrictions seen as illegitimate and harsh police action towards violations has been the toxic cocktail that produces riots.
Advertisement
British police officers in riot gear form a human wall during a demonstration. gavmac via Getty Images
To date, the UK has avoided this through forms of policing that seek to engage with the public and encourage adherence, rather than starting with strict enforcement.
But now the government has taken a punitive turn. More and more they have been blaming the public for the rise in infections. More and more they have suggested that this is due to “flagrant” and “brazen” violations of the rules.
More and more they have argued that the only way to deter such wilful acts is to threaten people with severe consequences – fines of up to £10,000.
That is a deeply worrying turn. On the one hand, blaming the public for the pandemic undermines a relationship of trust between the authorities and the public. Combine this with the sense that restrictions exemplify a history of unfair treatment against one’s group, then any punitive intervention by the police against those who refuse such restrictions can quickly lead to the police being seen as the face of oppressive authority and becoming a target of resentment.
Advertisement
In this way, acts of enforcement have the potential to transform strong feelings into open conflict, to draw the attention of others who see themselves as being in the same boat, and to escalate from small incidents into major disorder.
Let us stress again, we aren’t there yet. The overall story remains one of remarkable public fortitude and buy-in to covid measures. But the government’s general approach to the pandemic (of imposing restrictions but without providing the support that people -especially the less resourced – need to abide by them), combined with their recent stress on punishment, are rapidly taking us into very dangerous territory.
Stephen Reicher is Wardlaw Professor of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews and member of Independent SAGE.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--My Housemate Has Covid. The Rest Of Us Are Just Waiting In Fear

LOADING ERROR LOADING
After I found out one of my housemates had tested positive for Covid-19, my initial response was to ask if he was joking. He wasn’t.
My housemates and I had all been anxiously waiting on the results for the past 24 hours but we still couldn’t quite believe it.
Advertisement
I called my mum in tears, then rang my boyfriend, who has been travelling abroad, to say he still couldn’t visit me. My four other housemates were having similar conversations in their rooms.
I knew the self-isolation would only last for two weeks, most likely. But time feels so precious when you’re a student, and the sudden, total loss of freedom can be so painful.
My housemate who tested positive said he felt guilty. We reassured him that it wasn’t his fault, it could have happened to anyone.
It’s true – we’d visited the same friends, the same shops, the same pubs. Besides, a sour atmosphere in the house would just make the remainder of our self-isolation more difficult.
Advertisement
Even though the rest of my household have since tested negative, the shadow of Covid will be hanging over us for the rest of our time in quarantine.
The constant worry is draining. You feel like every surface you touch could be contaminated. You start to think your general fatigue is a symptom, and you wonder if your tight chest warrants urgent medical care, or if it’s just plain old anxiety.
“Even though the rest of my household have since tested negative, the shadow of Covid will be hanging over us for the rest of our time in quarantine.”
The only temporary solution is to distract yourself, but it can be much easier said than done – especially when there is, quite literally, no escape.
One housemate – who had to take an exam virtually – has already experienced isolation with a Covid-positive family member. She feels cursed.
Advertisement
Another is managing her demanding role in our college committee, while negotiating a long-term, long-distance relationship.
Self-isolation, on top of the national restrictions, has made everyone in our household feel the weight of their burdens more acutely.
It’s hard not to be melodramatic when the fear is very real – but at least my household and I are in the same boat.
Our morning cups of coffee and Netflix binge-sessions have become small but vital rituals which make our circumstances a bit more bearable.
Fortunately, the general gloom is still peppered with moments of light, which come from living with your close friends.
Advertisement
One housemate and I end up in hysterics as we attempt to renovate our spider-infested garden-shed and, as awful as it is, it’s hard not to laugh at my Covid-positive housemate donning a dressing gown and mask in the kitchen, frantically disinfecting our Henry Hoover.
I’m trying to focus on these moments. But our term hasn’t started officially, and my household and I know that the huge workload will bring with it new challenges.
“How can you stay motivated when you have so little to look forward to? Will my housemates and I still be patient with each other when the stress starts to take its toll?”
How can you stay motivated when you have so little to look forward to? Will my housemates and I still be patient with each other when the stress starts to take its toll? Worst of all, what happens if one of us tests positive later, and our self-isolation is prolonged?
My household and I are lucky to have multiple support networks. We also chose to live together. If we are still struggling, what about the others in our age group who are truly isolated?
Advertisement
This year’s university intake, many of whom are living away from home for the first time, are especially vulnerable. The impending mental health crisis among young people is not something our government can wilfully ignore. With cases rapidly rising among 18-24 year olds, more must be done to ensure that all young people feel supported.
Although this experience so far has not been a wholly pleasant one, it has shown us how resilient we can be, and how it is possible to make peace with factors outside of your control.
That being said, we can’t wait to go outside again.
Natalya Robinson is a second-year history student at the University of Oxford and a freelance writer


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--As Instagram Turns 10, Here Are The Tags And Trends We'll Never Forget

LOADING ERROR LOADING
It’s been 10 years since the launch of Instagram and the introduction of selfies and influencers to our lives. Yet as we scroll its squares and stories for hours on end each week, it’s hard to imagine a time when we lived off the grid.
“Humans are imitative creatures. We learn about the world and how to function in it by copying other people – parents, teachers, siblings…,” observes psychotherapist Lucy Beresford (@thelucyberesford1) of the ways Instagram has changed how we’ve lived our lives over the past decade.
Advertisement
“Not only does Insta showcase for us options about our behaviour and choices, showing us what to wear, eat, where to holiday, and how to pose, successful accounts use visual psychology to make you remember and respond to and engage with their images even more.”
The likes and comments built into Instagram’s design interface make us want to be part of “that gang”, Beresford adds, “so we alter our own images, or buy into the dreams those other images are selling”.
Love it or hate it, here are 10 memorable trends that have shaped our feeds – and lives – since Instagram’s inception. How many hashtags did you jump on?
Manicurists had it nailed (2010)
Advertisement
Once upon a time, we were satisfied with a simple polish. Enter Sharmadean Reid, founding director of WAH nails, who brought nail art to the masses.
WAH was “one of the first ever nail art salons to join Instagram in 2010”, Instagram tells us. It’s now packed with accounts, such as @nuka.nails (known for its rainbow designs), @imarninails (famous for nature inspired talons ranging from clouds to cherries) and @nails.bab, whose salon specialises in the ‘mystery mani’, where she chooses a surprise design for her loyal clients).
The boom of nail art identified Instagram as a home for beauty bloggers to rival YouTube – and we’ve been mourning the simple french manicure ever since.
Selfie culture announced itself (2011)
Instagram user Jennifer Lee couldn’t have known what she’d started when she tagged her photo #Selfie in 2011, the day Instagram introduced hashtags. People had posted pics of themselves before then, but Lee is widely cited as the first person to use the tag that defined the site for years.
Advertisement
Selfie culture, particularly our use of filters and face tuning apps, has altered our perceptions of our own faces over the past decade, says LBC presenter and mental health campaigner Natasha Devon, who recently guested on our podcast, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? to talk about body image.
“Even if you don’t use filters, smart phones have built in technology which makes our eyes bigger and skin clearer automatically when taking a selfie,” she tells HuffPost UK. “So now, when we look in the mirror, we measure what we see against an idealised version of ourselves. Plastic surgeons have reported a huge surge in young women asking for procedures to make them look like the Insta version of themselves for that very reason.”
Travel blogging went global (2012)
Remember the #FollowMeTo couple? Murad Osmann and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Natalia Zakharova began posting shots of their jet-set lifestyle in late 2011, but their followers skyrocketed in 2012 as people started to use the hashtag to copy their signature, arm-stretched pose.
Of course, travel photos and reviews existed online before Instagram, but Murad and Natalia were among the first wave of travel bloggers to bring that inspo direct to our fingertips, without the need to browse a travel mag or website.
Advertisement
By 2017, a study found that 40% of millennials were choosing holidays based on ‘Instagram potential’ – airlines have a lot to thank Instagram for.
Outfit of the Day was on point (2013)
Dedicated followers of fashion found a natural home on Instagram from day one, but in 2013 came OOTD Magazine and the Instagram account of the same name, which soon gained over three million followers.
Outfit Of The Day and the #OOTD hashtag soon became the standard way for fashion bloggers to flaunt their #gifted goods (although back then, it wasn’t so easy to tell who was wearing free clobber).
Influencers have since been blamed for fuelling our addiction to fast fashion, but Instagram insists that in recent years, it’s noticed a move towards more frugal and sustainable fashion. Some accounts their team recommend following include @alexandra.stedman, @iamkristabel and @inmysundaybest, while we love @waterthruskin for all things sustainability, from fashion to homeware.
Advertisement
The rise and fall of #cleaneating (2014)
The tail-end of 2013 saw the introduction of the #ThighGap hashtag, which was quickly criticised for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and encouraging women to lose weight. But in 2014, diet messaging became more insidious.
The #CleanEating hashtag picked up momentum as people rushed to post photos of salads and vegetable-jewelled bowls. The idea was to avoid heavily processed food and the poster girl for clean eating – once known as Clean Eating Alice – rose to fame, landing herself a book deal a year later.
But the bubble soon burst, with some of those originally leading the charge distancing themselves from the trend when the movement evolved beyond their intentions to more restrictive diet culture. The final nail in the #CleanEating coffin was Alice changing her public name to Alice Liveing.
At the same time, body positivity – pioneered by Black women as an awesome rebellion to white-led diet culture – was growing from strength to strength. A few of our favourite feel-good accounts (from the many hundreds and thousands of brilliant ones) include @GabiFresh, @mynameisjessamyn, @curvycampbell and @bodyposipanda.
Advertisement
When contouring was queen (2015)
Kim Kardashian posted the above photo of her contoured face back in 2012, so naturally it took us mere mortals a few years to catch up. 2015 was dubbed “the year of contouring” when ‘how to’ make-up tutorials migrated from YouTube to Instagram and we watched them like mesmerised children.
Thankfully, Amy Schumer was on hand with the perfect skit to make us all feel better about our amateur, stripy efforts.
Instagram also launched Boomerang in 2015 – leading to a painful year or two of doing the ‘prosecco jig’ on every night out.
Advertisement
We were all ripe for avocados (2016)
Were you even on Instagram in 2015-2016 if you didn’t snap a photo of avocado on toast, preferably topped with a perfectly runny poached egg and some photogenic seeds?
Our obsession came back to bite us on the bum in late 2016, when “avo on toast” became shorthand for “irresponsible millennial”. It started with an article by Australian columnist Bernard Salt, who suggested our brunch habit was stopping us from buying houses. Australian property developer Tim Gurner recycled the joke a year later – and the stereotype was cemented.
Other food trends have come and gone, from unicorn bagels to freakshakes, accompanied with plentiful use of the flat lay and the hashtag #foodporn. Instagram says our tastes have matured since 2015, though.
“More recently, we’ve seen a rise in curiosity around food on Instagram, a deeper interest in ingredients and where they are sourced, an appetite for unusual flavours and the continued growth in the popularity of plant based foods,” a spokesperson tells HuffPost UK. “People have also become adventurous with what they eat and drink, from #fermentation to #brainfoods.”
Advertisement
Instagram poets hit the big time (2017)
We have Rupi Kaur (@rupikaur_) to thank for this one, though many first learned her name in 2015, when she criticised the site for removing a photo of period blood. By 2017, she was a New York Times bestseller with her debut collection ‘Milk & Honey’ and you couldn’t open a mag without seeing her name.
“Kaur was one of the first “insta-poets” to emerge on the platform, with her beautiful, introspective and thought-provoking words striking a chord with young women across the globe,” Instagram tells us. “Since then, we’ve seen other emerging poets sharing their words on Instagram using hashtags like #poetsofinstagram, #instapoet and #Instapoetry to reach new audiences.”
Other poets who’ve found success on and beyond the platform include @yrsadaleyward, @nikita_gill, @wilson_oryema and @hussainmanawer.
Advertisement
Fitness got with the programme (2018)
Advertisement
The unravelling of #CleanEating saw hashtags including #FitNotThin and #StrongNotSkinny gain popularity in the years that followed, but they still missed the mark, with criticism they shame people with thinner bodies.
By 2018 though, fitness content on Instagram had undergone a much-needed makeover – with one of the breakout influencers being Shona Vertue. From being referred to as “David Beckham’s yoga teacher” at the start of the year to the PT being a name in her own right.
Vertue and other influencers like @foodandpsych are “the antidote for people to feel good on the inside and outside”, suggests Instagram. “They help people to rid their fears of food and hone in on the positive benefits food can have on cognitive functioning, brain development and for general happiness.”
Others like @lucymountain and @antidietriotclub are driving the anti-diet movement, while accounts like @SeeMyStrong (created by journalist Poorna Bell in early 2019) are showcasing empowering fitness for all bodies.
Lucy Beresford says she’s “so relieved” to see the shift towards “empowerment and strength and vitality rather than restriction and reduction”. As are we.
Advertisement
Clean influencers cleaned up (2019)
The surprise breakout Instagram star of last year was undoubtably Mrs Hinch – Sophie Hinchliffe to her friends – who quickly gained over three million followers and a book deal for sharing her cleaning tips on Instagram.
Her success paved the way for a new breed of influencers dedicated to cleaning their homes – but not everyone hopped to buy a Minky cloth.
Journalist Alix Walker called the trend “a slightly disconcerting one”. “There are no male cleaning influencers to be found and Mrs Hinch has admitted that 90% of her followers are women,” she wrote in Stylist last year. “When we already know that the majority of the domestic load falls to us – a sorry 60% more – the rise of cleaning influencers feels rather regressive.”
Advertisement
The pandemic surprised us all (2020)
As everyday life has shifted during the coronavirus pandemic, so too have our Instagram habits. The Stay Home sticker was used over 200 million times in April as we busied ourselves with jigsaws, sourdough and banana bread.
Advertisement
The number of people watching live videos more than doubled between March and April, as we started looking for alternative entertainment (and fitness classes) online.
At the height of lockdown, Instagram says it saw “communities rally round for worthy causes”, such as @scrubhubclub, a network of voluntary community groups coming together to make medical scrubs for NHS workers. It also logged an increase in people posting about supporting small, local businesses.
Lucy Beresford isn’t surprised people turned to the site during the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--Women With HIV Can Go Unheard. But I’m Determined To Stand Up And Be Seen

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
Over the last few days social media has been filled with wonderful photos and stories of people proudly living with HIV from all around the world as part of the #NormalizeHIVChallenge. Including me.
There’s not a lot of good news floating around at the moment – especially on Twitter – which is why this challenge, which is being championed by those of us living with HIV, is such a welcome break from the doom and gloom of 2020.
Advertisement
The concept is very simple: you answer a series of questions, ranging from when you were diagnosed to what you do for work and add a recent photo, then hit send. Take a look on Twitter and you’ll see lots of real stories: teachers, students and personal trainers living with HIV. We live everywhere from Zimbabwe to Lincoln. Some of us have kids, some of us don’t. We’re all leading lives just like everyone else.
The challenge doesn’t mean that our lives aren’t without difficulties – especially right now – but it’s there to show HIV no longer needs to hold you back in life. To those newly diagnosed it says you might not be okay right now – but you will be someday. It’s pretty simple to take part in terms of writing the tweet and pressing send, but it does so much to challenge perceptions and the stigma that stubbornly continues to be linked to HIV. I’m so glad the challenge has taken off with hundreds of us taking part.
I recognise my privilege here. I’m comfortable and able to participate. I hope that my visibility helps to move us towards a world where saying you’re HIV positive is no biggie and won’t put you in danger – but we’re not there yet in the UK or anywhere else. No one should feel pressurised to tell anyone about their own HIV status.
“My life living with HIV is actually pretty damn normal! I take just one pill each day, and get on with my life.”
Advertisement
My life living with HIV is actually pretty damn normal! I take just one pill each day, and get on with my life. That’s the reality of most people living with HIV here in the UK. 97% of us are on effective treatment which means we can’t pass HIV on and we can now expect a normal life expectancy. The medical progress in HIV is a far cry from where we were a few decades ago.
People are often shocked to hear the progress, and lots of people still see a HIV diagnosis as a death sentence. So many people have completely outdated knowledge of HIV and tackling that is the real challenge. Through Think2Speak, the social enterprise I founded and run, I deliver HIV workshops in schools. I love how my sessions for young people often end up also educating the teachers who sit at the back!
When I hit send on that blue tweet button the other day, it reminded me how important it is that people see those living with HIV as people; living their lives like anyone else, not as people to be feared. We need to reframe the conversation around HIV and sexual health.
Before I was diagnosed in 2006 I hardly knew anything about HIV. My only reference point was the Mark Fowler storyline in EastEnders. I was scared and fearful about what it meant for me and my baby, who was just 13 months old.
My partner died suddenly after becoming seriously unwell. A post-mortem showed he had a compromised immune system, which turned out to be untreated HIV. He didn’t know he was living with the virus – effective testing and treatment means no-one should die from HIV anymore and things would have been very different if he’d been tested back then. I then had to get my head around being HIV positive, and thankfully our baby was HIV negative. It was a hugely painful time for my little family but I felt I needed to learn, needed to go on, be healthy and be a mum.
Advertisement
My HIV medication helped me do just that. The level of virus in my blood went down and it wasn’t long before it was so low it became impossible – yes that’s right, impossible – for me to pass on HIV to anyone else.
Starting treatment was an adjustment I had to make but it means that I’m not just living with HIV, I’m thriving with HIV. That’s how I want to see HIV being represented online and going by the huge numbers of people sharing their stories on social media, I’m clearly not alone in wanting to change the narrative about HIV. Because right now public perceptions about HIV couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Fourteen years ago everything in my life felt like it had suddenly stopped. Now I’m leading a happy life, proudly living with HIV.”
A shocking 38% of adults would feel uncomfortable going on a date with someone living with HIV, according to data from Terrence Higgins Trust. While over 60% of adults say they would or might end a relationship if they found out their potential partner was living with HIV. It’s great to see the ‘married’ question in the Normalize HIV Challenge – someone’s HIV status should never impact having a partner or starting a family. People living with HIV can be in relationships with HIV negative partners and not pass it on, and have kids free from the virus.
Stigma doesn’t just hurt, it fuels poor mental health. People living with HIV are twice as likely to experience poor mental health, including anxiety, depression and fears of rejection. That’s why setting the record straight on HIV is so important and it was one of the reasons I decided to start talking about my experience of living with HIV. So while the tweets are ‘just’ tweets, they have the potential to change hearts and minds.
Advertisement
It’s also amazing to see so many women living with HIV taking part. Women like me continue to be under-represented in messages about HIV and our voices can go unheard even though we make up a third of people living with HIV. But this has made me even more determined to stand up and be seen.
Fourteen years ago everything in my life felt like it had suddenly stopped. Now I’m leading a happy life, proudly living with HIV.
Lizzie Jordan is CEO and Founder of award-winning social enterprise, Think2Speak. Follow her on Twitter at @IamLizzieJordan.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--It's Getting Stormy: The Best Baby Names Inspired By The Weather

Mkovalevskaya via Getty Images
We all love to talk about the weather – to moan about it getting cold and wet, to celebrate when it turns hot and sultry; only to then moan again about it getting too stifling.
Still, when it comes to instant conversational ice-breakers, what’s going on in the skies above us is always number one.
Advertisement
And what better inspiration for a name for your little one than one that screams dazzling storms, powerful thunder or radiating sunshine?
We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents, but here are 10 elemental ideas for your newborn.
Mkovalevskaya via Getty Images
Gale
This pretty name means ‘sea storm’, and can also be spelled Gayle or Gail.
Storm
This powerful name comes from the Old English, and means ‘tempest’.
Talia
The name Talia comes from the Arabic for ‘dew of heaven’ or ‘rain from heaven’.
Eira
Eira originates from the Norse goddess ‘Eir’, and means ‘snow’ in Welsh.
Misty
Misty means ‘covered with mist’ or ‘covered with dew’ and is popular in America.
Advertisement
FamVeld via Getty Images
Dara
Can be a masculine or feminine name, and means ‘star’, ‘compassion’, ‘pearl of wisdom’ and ‘leader’.
Rain
The name Rain, which is perfect for the start of autumn, means ‘abundant blessings from above’.
Sol
Meaning ‘peace’, Sol can also be derived from the Spanish word for ‘sun’.
Barrak
In Hebrew, this name means ‘flash of lightning’.
Coro


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Graham Norton Reveals Secret Covid Makeover To His Big Red Chair – But You Won't Have Noticed

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Graham Norton has revealed a big change to his famous Big Red Chair – not that you would have noticed.
At the end of each episode of his BBC chat show, Graham invites members of the audience to tell an anecdote in the hot seat, before he decides if their story is good enough to let them walk away, or if he pulls a leaver to send them flying backwards.
Advertisement
After The Graham Norton Show returned to the studio last week, the host admitted there had been a change to the chair to keep in line with coronavirus safety measures.
Graham Norton fronting a pre-pandemic edition of The Big Red Chair BBC
Speaking on This Morning, he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “We’ve got different slip covers for it! So we change the covers [in between each guest].
“The table beside it looks like The Handmaid’s Tale, with these red costumes laid out,” he said, referring to the red costumes as seen in the popular Channel 4 drama.
Advertisement
Graham Norton in his Big Red Chair BBC
The last series Graham’s chat show saw him hosting from home with guests appearing remotely.
As the show returned to the studio last week, there were a number of changes that saw the usual red sofa replaced with individual chairs so guests were spaced apart, while Riz Ahmed and Dolly Parton appeared virtually.
Graham called being back in the studio “lovely”, saying on This Morning: “It’s different but it’s much closer to the real show and just nice to be talking to faces.
“It’s a smaller audience of 100 instead of 600, and you can tell the audience were delighted to be out of the house – they were thrilled to be there! The music performance, and all those things we took for granted, now seem so precious.”
Graham recently admitted there could be one permanent change to his chat show once the pandemic is over – Hollywood A-listers appearing via video link.
Advertisement
Speaking to Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show, he said he doesn’t know if celebrities will ever travel in the same way post Covid-19.
“Film stars may never fly around the world again promoting films because we’ve discovered you can sort of do it without leaving their house, so who wants to leave their house?” he said.
“Well, maybe a lot of people after lockdown.”
Among the guests joining Graham in the studio and remotely this week are Ewan McGregor, Ashley Banjo and Miley Cyrus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Grant Shapps Hints 14-Day Travel Quarantine Could Be Cut With Airport Testing

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A new airport testing regime could see the 14-day quarantine period slashed for international arrivals, Grant Shapps has said.
The transport secretary will unveil plans to MPs on Wednesday that could see the two-week self-isolation period shaved down, provided people have a negative test result.
Advertisement
While England has a list of “travel corridor” countries, which includes Italy, Germany and Greece, which people can visit without having to quarantine, Shapps has acknowledged it is “frustrating” for people to self-isolate on return from elsewhere.
The government has also been under increasing pressure from the aviation and tourism industries to change the rules after a steep fall in bookings.
Shapps, who himself had to quarantine when the rules changed while he was visiting Spain, said it was “important to make sure that we protect the health of people in the United Kingdom”.
He told broadcasters: “We have worked so hard and are still having to work incredibly hard to keep on top of this disease.
Advertisement
“So I will be making the announcement later today to parliament, but it involves a taskforce to look at systems which will enable us to have testing and perhaps earlier release.”
The aviation sector had been lobbying for a two-tier system whereby people arriving in the country had a test prior to their flight to England and another later.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Destiny’s Child Star Kelly Rowland Expecting Second Child At 39

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BET2020 via Getty Images
Kelly Rowland has revealed she is expecting her second child. The Destiny’s Child star is already mother to five-year-old son Titan Jewell.
Advertisement
She shared the news on the front cover of Women’s Health magazine, showing off her growing baby bump.
The 39-year-old told the magazine: “You still want to remind people that life is important. And being able to have a child … I’m knocking at 40’s door in February. Taking care of myself means a lot to me.”
Discussing how she and husband Tim Weatherspoon decided to try for another child during the pandemic, the singer said: “We had been talking about it loosely, and then Covid happened, and we were just like ‘Let’s see what happens’.”
Advertisement
She added: “I was thinking ‘Oh my God, my fans are gonna be so disappointed … They wanted an album first, but they got a baby!’ And I was like ‘I have to figure this out so they get both’.”
Rowland said she has been keeping fit with yoga, walks, and stretches aided by a physical therapist as she navigates her second pregnancy and does deep breathing each morning, a practice she has added since she felt overwhelmed with grief over the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
She said: “I’d just put Titan to bed. I got into the shower, and I had this real hard, ugly, deep cry. Because I promised to protect my kid.
“That was the main thing I was thinking about – protecting this little innocence.”
She said she has shown her son a recent Sesame Street special about racism but otherwise she turns off TV news if he is in the room and has become more conscious of her own use of social media.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--MPs Ordered To Wear Masks In Parliament Amid Uptick In Coronavirus Cases

LOADING ERROR LOADING
MPs have been asked to wear face masks around parliament due to an increase in coronavirus cases.
A well-placed parliamentary source told HuffPost UK that the guidance had been issued on the advice of Public Health England after a “small number” of increased Covid-19 infections over recent days.
Now the Commons Speaker has asked MPs, Lords, staff, journalists and others to wear face coverings when walking between buildings or queuing for food and drink around the parliamentary estate.
Advertisement
The move comes a week after MP Margaret Ferrier travelled from Scotland to parliament and back to Scotland on the train despite having coronavirus.
Commons authorities have refused to reveal how many new cases have been recorded in parliament in recent days.
But a source said: “There has been a rise in cases in London and we have had a small number of cases on the estate so the House of Commons Commission consulted with Public Health England and they said now is time to put your masks on.”
It goes beyond the usual government guidance for workplaces in England, which notes that there are “some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally beneficial and a precautionary measure”.
Advertisement
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “Just as we have all had to wear them in supermarkets and on public transport, it makes sense that we all wear face coverings to protect each other on the estate.”
Staff and MPs are not expected to wear face coverings in meetings or when working in their offices.
While MPs are not expected to wear face coverings in the Commons chamber, they have been advised to wear them in the lobbies during a division.
Hoyle has also asked those that take part in the Speaker’s procession to wear masks “for the foreseeable future”.
This includes a Commons’ doorkeeper, the Serjeant at Arms with the mace, the Speaker, the Trainbearer, Chaplain and Secretary, who “move circuitously from Speaker’s House through central and members’ lobbies into the chamber” every day that parliament sits.
Advertisement
A Commons spokesperson said: “Passholders are being strongly encouraged to use face coverings on the parliamentary estate, especially in areas where it is difficult to maintain social distancing after a small number of cases of Covid-19 have emerged on the estate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Greene King To Shut 79 Pubs And Restaurants After Slump Caused By 10pm Curfew

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Pub giant Greene King has said it plans to cut around 800 jobs and shut dozens of pubs and restaurants after trade slumped following the 10pm hospitality curfew.
The company said it will keep 79 of its sites shut for the time being, with around one third of these closures expected to be permanent, PA media reports.
Advertisement
It called on the government to provide support for the hospitality sector while tightened restrictions, such as the recent 10pm curfew, remain in place.
A Greene King spokesperson said: “The continued tightening of the trading restrictions for pubs, which may last another six months, along with the changes to government support was always going to make it a challenge to reopen some of our pubs.
“Therefore, we have made the difficult decision not to reopen 79 sites, including the 11 Loch Fyne restaurants we announced last week.
“Around one-third will be closed permanently and we hope to be able to reopen the others in the future.
Advertisement
“We are working hard with our teams to try and find them a role in another of our pubs wherever possible.
“We urgently need the government to step in and provide tailored support to help the sector get through to the spring and prevent further pub closures and job losses.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Keir Starmer Demands Boris Johnson Justify 10pm Pub Curfew Ahead Of Crunch Vote

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Keir Starmer has demanded Boris Johnson publish the scientific evidence behind the 10pm curfew ahead of a crunch Commons vote next week on the law.
Speaking during PMQs on Wednesday, the Labour leader gave a strong indication he may withhold his support.
Advertisement
If Labour joins Tory rebels, there is a chance the government could be defeated in any bid to keep the curfew in place.
“One question is now screaming out: is there a scientific basis for the 10pm rule?” Starmer said.
“If there is, why doesn’t the government do itself a favour and publish it? If not, why doesn’t the government review the rule?”
He added: “Will the prime minister commit to publishing the scientific basis for the rule before this House votes on it?”
Johnson sidestepped the call for any science behind the curfew to be published and told MPs the point of the law was “to reduce the spread of the virus”.
Advertisement
The government has been under increasing pressure to scrap the curfew from Tory MPs and the hospitality industry.
Steve Baker, the leading backbench rebel, told HuffPost UK: “It is not clear what the evidence is to support the 10pm curfew or that it is effective.”
Kate Nicholls, the CEO of UK Hospitality, said the curfew and other restrictions had a “severe and devastating” impact on pubs, restaurants and other venues.
Pub giant Greene King said on Wednesday it plans to cut around 800 jobs and shut dozens of pubs and restaurants
Local Labour leaders have also warned the curfew is counter-productive as it has led to people all leaving bars at the same time, gathering together outside, holding more house parties and cramming on to public transport.
Advertisement
HuffPost UK revealed today ministers are considering shifting the curfew back an hour, with supermarkets being ordered to stop selling alcohol after 11pm.
The plan would transplant the rules operating in Northern Ireland to England, which see last orders being called at 10.30pm.
During PMQs, Starmer also said Labour analysis showed 19 out of 20 areas in England that have been under restrictions over the last two months have seen an increase in infection rates anyway.
Bolton, which has been under restrictions since July 30, has seen its infection rate increase almost 13 times from 20 to 255 per 100,000.
Burnley, which has been under restrictions since July 31, has seen its infection rate increase over 20 times from 21 to 434 per 100,000.
Advertisement
Bury, which has also been under restrictions since July 31, has seen its infection rate increase over 13 times from 20 to 266 per 100,000.
An analysis of government data by HuffPost UK also showed there are now only seven areas of the UK with levels of Covid-19 under the government’s own threshold for foreign countries that require travel restrictions.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Police In Custody Death Cases Now Get Anonymity. Victims’ Families Are Pushing Back

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Families of people who have died in police custody have expressed serious concerns about a new policy which gives anonymity to the officers involved.
Campaign groups and relatives say it will be harder to hold police accountable under the ramped up policy, which came into force in July.
Advertisement
They believe it is misguided for forces in England and Wales to take extra steps to protect anonymity at a time of global calls for greater transparency following the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
The new guidance gives officers involved in custody deaths the same level of anonymity as firearms officers following a fatal shooting.
Leading campaigner Tippa Naphtali, whose cousin Mikey Powell died whilst in the custody of West Midlands Police in 2003, said: “At a time like this, in the limelight of racial issues and the Black Lives Matter issues, it’s appalling.
“It’s really disrespectful that they should even be thinking of a policy of this type, which is basically to afford police even more protection than they currently have, which makes them almost untouchable.”
Advertisement
A protester holds up a sign during a Black Lives Matter march in London in June Toby Melville / Reuters
The new “Death or Serious Injury Authorised Professional Practice” policy was announced on the Police Federation website in July.
A statement on the site said: “Officers involved in deaths or serious injuries will be given protection in College of Policing policy – akin to colleagues who carry firearms.”
The policy sets out clear steps that should be taken by forces to “protect officers legally, ensure their welfare is looked after as well as assist with the investigation that follows”.
But the charity Inquest said the new guidance “could undermine the integrity of investigations into police related deaths”.
Advertisement
Naphtali, who runs the 4WardEver UK and Friends of Mikey Powell campaigns, said the system is already heavily weighted against bereaved families.
Tippa Naphtali, a leading campaigner on custody deaths and cousin of Mikey Powell Supplied by Tippa Naphtali
His cousin Powell died aged 38 of asphyxiation shortly after being arrested by police in Birmingham in 2003 while suffering a psychotic episode. His death has parallels to that of George Floyd, the family say.
Ten officers were charged with criminal offences after Powell’s death, but all were cleared of wrongdoing in 2006.
Naphtali pointed to the fact that there has been no conviction of a police officer related to a death in custody for more than five decades in this country.
Advertisement
“The first recorded death in custody was David Oluwale in 1969,” he said.
“That’s the last time ever, in 1969, that a police officer was actually imprisoned in the UK for a death in custody. That’s disgraceful.”
Mikey Powell died whilst in the custody of West Midlands Police in 2003 Supplied by Tippa Naphtali
There have been 1,755 deaths in police custody or otherwise following police contact in England and Wales since 1990, according to Inquest.
While the risks faced by officers are acknowledged, as witnessed with the fatal shooting of Sgt Matt Ratana at Croydon Police Station last month, families argue that people who die in police custody should have the same access to justice.
Acclaimed poet Benjamin Zephaniah, the brother of Naphtali and cousin of Mikey Powell, said: “We just ask for the same amount of consideration when civilians die at the hands of police.”
Advertisement
“When I see the outpouring of compassion and feeling for those officers, I want the same to happen for people that die at the hands of police, because the police should be subject to the same laws.”
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, cousin of Mikey Powell Tim P. Whitby via Getty Images
Debbie Whelan, of the Justice for Cameron Whelan campaign, also condemned the changes, saying equivalent support is not available to families of the dead.
“[They] slipped that one in under the radar didn’t they,” she said, speaking to the 4WardEver UK campaign. “It’s a shame they don’t afford the same to the families of the people they kill.”
Her son Cameron, 26, was pursued by Warwickshire Police in May 2018 and entered the water of the River Avon before his body was found four days later.
Advertisement
The Independent Office of Police Conduct investigated the force’s contact with Cameron prior to his drowning and a jury inquest into his death found no critical findings in relation to police, despite the serious concerns of the family.
The Angiolini Report
In 2017, a report on deaths in police custody by Dame Elish Angiolini QC, made 110 recommendations to minimise the risks of future deaths.
Commenting on the new policy, Dame Elish told HuffPost UK she “had no difficulty” with officers having access to legal advice and anonymity was not unusual in the UK at the early stages of an investigation.
But she expressed concern about “the persistence of the practice” of bringing officers together following an operation, a practice that has been criticised because of the risk of testimony becoming tainted or collusion occurring.
“My concern is about a group of officers being kept together for several hours after the incident is over but before they have provided their own independent account of the circumstances,” she said.
Advertisement
“That practice in England is wholly contrary to the guidance issued by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and is often not in the longer term interests of all the officers involved.”
Inquest director Deborah Coles echoed the concern saying “conferral and separation of police officers, and preservation of the scene” were both raised as critical issues in the Angiolini review.
People march to Westminster during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody Henry Nicholls / Reuters
There has been a heightened global focus on deaths in police custody, particularly the disproportionate deaths of Black people, since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Floyd died aged 46 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes as he cried out “I can’t breathe”.
Advertisement
Inquest, which carries out casework and monitoring on custody deaths in England and Wales, says its data shows Black people die disproportionately as a result of the use of force or restraint by police.
The Police Federation did not comment when approached by HuffPost UK in relation to criticism of its new policy.
But Steve Hartshorn, Police Federation of England and Wales’ post incident procedure lead, said at the time the policy was announced: “There has been a deaths or serious injury policy in place for firearms for many years which has been tested through the courts and has set a standard that protects officers and assists with the provision of best evidence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Kate Moss' Daughter Lila Makes Catwalk Debut In Miu Miu Show

View this post on Instagram
@miumiu SS21 💗🧡 THANK YOU for allowing me to debut at the dreamiest show @kegrand @bitton ~ obsessed with this hair @guidopalau & makeup @patmcgrathreal xxxx


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Yes, You Can Buy A CBD-Infused Face Mask. It Was Only A Matter Of Time

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
There’s been no shortage of CBD products hitting the market in recent years, from tampons and gummies to cold brew coffee and CBD chocolate.
Advertisement
Now, you can even buy a CBD face mask. Playa London – a company that usually dedicates its time to making organic cotton shirts – is selling an “anti-viral stress relief mask to help fight Covid-19”.
The masks are said to be “infused with microparticles of CBD” to de-stress wearers during the pandemic – as well as being “ergonomically designed so that they do not smudge lipstick and makeup”.
Playa’s new mask is just one of a number of CBD products being marketed to help the public deal with coronavirus anxiety – with CBD-infused vape liquids, oils and moisturisers all being pushed hard by sellers right now.
Getty/HuffPost UK Getty/HuffPost UK
Advertisement
We’re all looking for ways to destress at the moment, so we’re unsurprised to hear that CBD sales are growing. Pure Sport CBD, a company selling CBD oils and capsules, says sales have grown almost 25% during the pandemic.
But it’s important to remember that not all CBD products are created equal. Wellness CBD products (available off-the-shelf in stores and online) are very different from the CBD-based medications prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, which have gone through clinical trials.
Critics have long pointed out that the CBD wellness industry is largely unregulated in the UK, with “little evidence” these products work.
“These [wellness products] typically contain low concentrations of CBD mixed in with other cannabinoids, and there are wide variations in what they contain,” Professor Philip McGuire, an expert in psychiatry and cognitive neuroscience at King’s College London, previously told HuffPost UK.
“It’s often difficult to know what the concentration of the different ingredients in these preparations is from just looking at the product label.”
In 2019, the Food Standards Agency urged members of the public to “think carefully” before using off-the-shelf CBD products and said you shouldn’t be taking them at all if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking any medication.
CBD does have its fans though, and you’ll find thousands of advocates online singing its praises, claiming products have helped them deal with stress, anxiety and chronic pain.
Dr Chandni Hindocha, a research fellow investigating CBD at UCL, and Professor McGuire, told HuffPost UK the positive reviews may be down to a placebo effect. In reality, we just don’t have the research to say for certain.
Until more studies are conducted, you may want to avoid wasting your money and use our self-care toolkit for looking after your wellbeing instead.
And remember, studies have shown that a homemade cotton mask is effective for limiting the spread of Covid-19, so don’t be afraid to keep it simple.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Pub Closing Time Could Return To 11pm In England Under Plan To Copy Northern Ireland

LOADING ERROR LOADING
England’s 10pm pub and restaurant curfew could be shifted back an hour and supermarkets ordered to stop selling alcohol after 11pm under plans being considered by ministers.
HuffPost UK understands that government insiders have been impressed by Northern Ireland’s own regulations on night-time hospitality, where there have been few incidents of public overcrowding or house parties after closing time.
Advertisement
Tory MPs and Labour-led northern council chiefs have complained bitterly about the counterproductive impact of the 10pm curfew imposed in England, amid scenes of people crowding the streets after they leave pubs, bars and restaurants.
When the regulations were first introduced, pubgoers gathered on the street in Soho in London, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and Bristol until the late hours. In the capital, Tube trains were crammed with people soon after the 10pm closing time.
But in Northern Ireland the curfew was set at 11pm, with a last orders requirement at 10.30pm, and has worked alongside the province’s own rules banning any supermarket or shops from selling alcohol after that time.
In England, supermarkets, shops and off licences can sell booze 24 hours a day, meaning those wanting to continue drinking can pick up alcohol after leaving the pub and then potentially congregate in the street or in each others’ homes without social distancing.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson is under huge pressure to ditch the 10pm curfew, which critics say is not based on any substantial scientific evidence of reduction in spread of the virus, other than suggestions that the later people drink the more likely they will be intoxicated and not socially distance.
“Pro-liberty” Tory MPs are gearing up to vote against the renewal of the rule next week and if Labour backs its mayors and council chiefs the government could be defeated in the Commons.
One minister told HuffPost UK that the curfew was “crippling” pubs and the hospitality trade. Many restaurants which had relied on “second sittings” in the evening, when diners are more likely to spend time and money on drinking late, were being hit hard.
If England were to copy Northern Ireland, it would have to also change regulations on the opening hours of shops that sell alcohol to align the 11pm cut-off times for pubs and off-licences.
“It seems to work in Northern Ireland, there’ve been none of the problems we’ve seen over here,” one insider said.
Advertisement
A rival plan to bring forward the curfew to 9pm is seen as “ridiculous” by some inside government, as it would hurt the hospitality trade even more without necessarily curing the problem of street drinking.
In Scotland, shops and off-licences must already stop selling alcohol at 10pm, which matches its own new curfew for pubs and restaurants.
Northern Ireland has long had different rules from the rest of the UK on licensing. Its bars and pubs were allowed to stay open until 1am until the new 11pm curfew was introduced last month, which was itself bitterly opposed by many in its hospitality sector.
In Wales, the rules are slightly different, with a 10pm last orders edict and drinkers given 20 minutes to then get out before the pubs close.
The Sun reported on Wednesday that pubs and restaurants face total closure in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle from possibly later this week if the surge in Covid cases continues.
Advertisement
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is scrambling to put together a local bailout package for businesses facing ruin, while in Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon is preparing tighter restrictions too.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Strictly Come Dancing Line-Up 2020: All The Stars Get Strictly-Fied In New Publicity Shots

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Strictly Come Dancing team has broken out the sequins, the spandex and the spray tans in the lead-up to this year’s series, with the new batch of celebrities striking a pose for their new publicity photos.
Strictly has unveiled the new publicity photos for this year’s series, with former home secretary Jacqui Smith, comedian Bill Bailey and Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo all undergoing a Strictly transformation to get themselves dance floor ready.
Advertisement
Bill Bailey, Clara Amfo and Jacqui Smith BBC
EastEnders star Maisie Smith is also seen getting in the Strictly spirit in a bedazzled fringe dress and a pair of dance shoes, while former The Wanted performer Max George has already broken out the mesh (that didn’t take long at all, did it?).
Meanwhile, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams – who will make up one half of Strictly’s first ever competing same-sex partnership – can be seen in a bejewelled jacket and some trousers.
Nicola Adams, Maisie Smith and Max George BBC
Advertisement
She told The Guardian last month that she expected she’d mostly be wearing suits on the show, commenting: “Dresses aren’t my thing.”
Check out all the photos of the newly Strictly-fied stars in the gallery below…
Strictly Come Dancing 2020: This Year's Contestants Get Their Glam On See gallery
You may notice that there are only 11 publicity shots at the moment, and that’s because celebrity number 12, singer HRVY, is currently self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.
He’s still expected to be taking part in this year’s pre-recorded launch, which will be filmed next week, pending a negative coronavirus test result.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Great British Bake Off's Axed Contestant Jokes About Their Overambition In Emotional Goodbye Letter

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Warning! This article contains spoilers from the latest episode of The Great British Bake Off.
Great British Bake Off contestant Rowan has lamented the fact he always sets himself “impossibly ambitious goals” after becoming the latest baker to leave the tent.
Rowan had been repeatedly criticised by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith for not listening to their advice to be less complicated with his creations, after serving up unfinished or modified bakes during his time on the Channel 4 show.
Advertisement
On Tuesday night, it proved to be his downfall as he became the third contestant to be eliminated from the competition.
Rowan became the third baker to leave Bake Off Channel 4
Rowan later penned an emotional goodbye letter, which was posted on the official Bake Off Twitter account.
“It has always been my weakness to set myself impossibly ambitious goals”
Here’s rapturous Rowan’s letter to all the Bake Off fans. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/vp1j8THC2o — British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 6, 2020
Advertisement
He wrote: “Late last year I decided it was time for an adventure, so filled in the Bake Off application, and so began an amazing journey – the trip of a lifetime! What an extraordinary experience in this most extraordinary of years!
“Although it was fabulously harder work than I could have ever imagine (the in-tent baking is just the tip of a very large iceberg), and it has always been my weakness to set myself impossibly ambitious goals, I have loved every bit of this marvellous opportunity.”
He continued: “Everyone; from the technical, administrative and publicity teams to the celebrity presenters and judges have been, without exception, absolutely delightful, kind and hugely encouraging.
“As for the other contestants, it has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to work alongside such talented and lovely people. I never once felt that we were competing against one-another: out only adversary was the clock!”
Nine bakers now remain in the competition, and next week the theme is chocolate.
The Great British Bake Off continues next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--All The Reasons You Shouldn't Wear A Mask Under Your Nose

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Wearing a face mask under your nose is useless – and the sooner people figure that one out, the better.
It’s a pretty common sight on public transport, in shops and, well... everywhere really – especially with face masks now mandatory in many indoor public settings.
Advertisement
Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, says wearing a mask under the nose “is not a good idea at all”.
“Most people inhale and exhale through their noses, so the majority of virus particles – if they are being released while not talking – will be coming out through their nose route rather than their mouth route,” he tells HuffPost UK.
Giulio Fornasar via Getty Images
People who wear a mask like this might also think they’re protected, so they do what Dr Pankhania calls “risk compensation”, where they don’t socially distance properly – and therefore those around them are susceptible to their germs.
Advertisement
“They think: ‘I’m wearing a mask therefore I can take part in a little bit more than if I was not wearing a mask’,” he explains. “But the truth is you’re not wearing a mask, you’re wearing a pretend mask.”
He likens this risk compensation to the days when people didn’t wear seatbelts and parents with children would drive more carefully to protect their little ones. When wearing seatbelts became mandatory, some people took a little less caution with their driving.
So yes, the whole point of a face mask is to keep the droplets you expel (from your mouth and your nose) under wraps. Covering up one escape route is not great.
Think of wearing a mask like a kitchen with two doorways. The doorways lead on to other rooms in a house. If there’s a fire and you have two closed fire doors blocking the way, the fire will stay in that room for a period of time.
If you have one fire door and the other door is left open, the fire will inevitably escape through the open entrance and will spread to the other rooms, causing havoc.
Advertisement
Alternatively, there are some other ways of looking at it, kindly supplied by Twitter.
People who wear their face mask but leave their nose uncovered, do you also sleep under your mattress? — machine gun Kele (@kelechnekoff) October 4, 2020
My son had his mask down & got embarrassed when I loudly proclaimed that wearing a mask under your nose is akin to wearing draws w/your willie out. Several grown men within earshot pulled their masks up. That was my public service for the day. You're welcome — Linda S (@queenlsteiner) October 2, 2020
wearing a mask under your nose is like wearing a condom with a hole in it — ᴢᴏᴇʏ (@zoeygallagher_) October 1, 2020
You get the drift. Even this swan gets it...
This is dedicated to everyone still wearing their mask under their nose and in some cases under their chin. Pull it up!! https://t.co/jqwrb5eok0 — Andy Lea 💙💙 (@AndyL1964) October 5, 2020
How should you wear a mask then?
To wear a mask properly, it must cover your nose and mouth. You don’t want lots of gaps around the sides of your face mask or face covering either.
Advertisement
If possible, masks should fit snugly on the chin (almost forming a seal to the skin) and sit just under your eyes to get a proper seal over the bridge of your nose – while making sure it’s still comfortable for you to breathe.
And remember, keep 2m away from others as much as possible.