thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--Why Secondhand Beauty Products Could Leave You Feeling Used

Kristina Strasunske via Getty Images
Many of us buy clothes secondhand; we scour charity shops or welcome hand-me-downs from friends. We buy vintage, attend swap parties, and hunt online for bargains. But would you be as keen on pre-loved beauty products?
Secondhand beauty is set to boom in 2020, Jenni Middleton, beauty director at trend forecaster WGSN tells HuffPost UK. Platforms such as Mercari, Poshmark and Glambot are among the most popular, she says. They take advantage of the beauty consumers’ interest in being “connected” as a community, “sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm about their favourite beauty products”. People can bag a bargain with premium products online, or get their hands on sold out, limited edition lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes.
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The makeup industry is big business, after all. In 2018 alone, the sale of beauty products and services reached £27.2bn, according to the British Beauty Council. Beauty trends often align with fashion; how models are made up for the catwalks translates into what we’ll be wearing on our lids and lashes – and people are finding new avenues to get these looks.
Secondhand beauty doesn’t always mean ‘used’ products. Some items may be bought, never opened, and sold on. So is it a trend that’s likely to catch on?
Sasha Brazhnik via Getty Images
The US and Japan are taking the lead in the secondhand beauty movement, says Middleton. Mecari, for example, is a peer-to-peer marketplace started in Japan in 2013 – a quick search brings up hundreds of pre-owned Chanel blushes, NARS lipsticks, and Estee Lauder skincare items, some with discounts of up to 50%. The platform was valued at $1.2bn when it went public in 2018, according to Vogue Business.
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Others include Poshmark and Glambot. The former has a similar selling format to Mecari, except it’s California based. It started as a site for secondhand fashion, expanding into makeup sales in 2015. And Glambot – perhaps the most interesting – buys barely-used make-up from consumers, then employs a stringent cleaning routine, before selling on for a profit.
There are no UK specific beauty resale sites, and some beauty fans are turning to platforms like Depop and Ebay for their bargains instead. Isabella, 30, tells me her go-to is Depop. “I’d like to say I got into it a few years ago because I was being eco-conscious, but it’s actually because I was broke and couldn’t bear the thought of giving up my boujee beauty stash,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“I was broke and couldn’t bear the thought of giving up my boujee beauty stash” - Isabella, 31
Isabella buys everything from fake tan to skincare and eye palettes there. Most of it is new and unused, she says, and the savings are “often phenomenal”. She has bought a hard-to-find Marc Jacobs foundation for £12, when it sells for £37; a Natasha Denona Safari eyeshadow palette for £60, as opposed to £110; and her favourite Davines hair oil for £18, when it’s £35 elsewhere.
But – and it’s a big but – how hygienic is it to buy secondhand beauty?
Unlike secondhand fashion, resale beauty carries risks of hygiene and safety. There are a number of symbols legally required on cosmetic packaging – the most widely known one is the PAO, “period after opening”, which indicates the expiration date in months after breaking any seal. How can secondhand buyers ever know how long it’s been in its former owner’s beauty bag?
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The short answer? They can’t.
HuffPost UK
There’s limited regulation regarding the sterilisation of pre-owned cosmetics – and it’s a cause for concern to consultant dermatologist, Dr. Alexis Granite.
Pre-used makeup and applicators have the potential to cause skin infections if bacteria is transferred between users, she says. “It’s also possible products that have been opened for extended periods will lose their potency and/or freshness and have the potential to cause skin irritation.”
Isabella is conscious of hygiene, too, despite never having had any issues with products she’s bought. She’ll clean any packaging or components with a cloth covered in Dettol to be extra safe. “I tend to only use brand-new, unopened items or makeup items that have been briefly swatched,” she adds.
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Elana Leenoi, 27, favours Facebook groups for her secondhand beauty buys, citing the QVC group as one. Mostly, she buys from the Caroline Hirons Skincare Freaks group, where fans of the eponymous beautician swap and sell items. The last thing she bought was a cleanser she’d been eyeing up from indie brand, A Florence, which retails for £23. Leenoi got it with postage for £13. “It was only a third used but I prefer buying things cheaper to test out if I like them.”
HuffPost UK Elana Leenoi: "I prefer buying things cheaper to test out if I like them.”
“Sometimes people in these groups get things abroad, so you get the odd good steal,” says Leenoi. “People in [Caroline’s] group are nice and often give things away for the price of postage.”
Concerns about hygiene mean she’ll never buys eyeliners, mascaras or potted products. “With things like the QVC group, I know they’re brand new, so for people who buy things in sets but don’t want some products I know they wouldn’t have been touched,” she says.
Despite consumer caution, health and safety expert Dr Lisa Ackerley, known as The Hygiene Doctor, says we need to be “very careful” buying anything on the internet that we put on our skin.
“Quite honestly, you don’t know who you’re dealing with or what these products contain,” she says. “Many beauty products are going on sale from sellers who may not be registered or authorised and could be unsafe. Fraud in this area is rife. Some platforms are allowing sellers to market such products but don’t check the sellers’ credentials, so you’re taking a risk.”
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“Fraud in this area is rife.” - Dr Lisa Ackerley
What are websites doing to ensure the safety of the products they sell? When HuffPost UK put the question of hygiene to Mecari, spokesperson Brad Williams explained the site’s goal is to “give our users choice, not to change the opinions of people who may prefer to buy a particular item new versus used.” He added that ‘pre-owned’ isn’t necessarily ‘used’.
A spokesperson for Poshmark said beauty products listed on its site must be “brand new, unswatched, and in original packaging”. “We’ve worked hard to build a platform that protects against infringing products,” they said. “We’ve included a ‘Report’ button on every listing, so if users do come across a used makeup product, we encourage Poshmark users to report it.”
Glambot has rigid standards for cleaning the makeup it sells on. While the site didn’t return a request for comment, on site it states it “thoroughly clean[s] each piece of makeup along with its packaging with a variety of methods including heat, light therapy, product removal, alcohol or even a combination of all of these methods. Every package is given a sticker so you know it has been inspected and cleaned by a lab member.”
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Despite these stringent processes, hygiene professionals and makeup artists still err on the side of caution. As a professional makeup artist, Joyce Connor wouldn’t buy secondhand products. “Mostly because of hygiene and how the product has been stored,” she says. “Has the previous owner put their fingers in the product? Is the product way past its expiry date?”
When asked if she’d recommend secondhand beauty, Dr Ackerley replies, simply: “Don’t do it”.
“Only buy from sites that you can totally trust and buy new products,” she says. “Better still, support the local high street, where you know they are following the rules to keep you safe. It’s not worth the risk to wear someone else’s used make-up. Even if unused, you can’t be sure it is what it says it is and not a counterfeit, unless of course you know the seller personally.”
And Dr Granite agrees. “Until there is more regulation, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing these types of items when previously used,” she says. “I would still caution buyers [from] retailers who sell previously purchased, but unopened, makeup products, as there’s no way to guarantee freshness or sterility.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--3 Totally Extra Pancake Recipes To Wow Them With This Shrove Tuesday

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Posh Pancakes / Faith Mason From Posh Pancakes by Sue Quinn..
Lemon and sugar. Nutella and banana. Bacon and maple syrup. Some pancake toppings are staples – but why not trying something a little fancier this year?
Committ to your own totally extra Pancake Day and get prepared by buying all your ingredients early to save the last-minute dash on Tuesday.
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Here are three of our favourite dishes from Posh Pancakes. They’re quite the recipes – but while they take a bit of effort, looking at the photos, they’ll be totally worth it.
Posh Pancakes / Faith Mason
Salted caramel pancakes with pear and walnut
A dessert for those who love salted caramel “so much they could drown in it”, apparently. The pancakes here are crêpe style.
Serves: 4, generously
For the pancakes:
130g (41⁄2oz/1 cup) plain or wholemeal plain flour
1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
300ml (10fl oz/11⁄4 cups) whole milk
1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
For the pears:
4 pears (about 185g/61⁄2oz) each
1–2 tbsp butter
crème fraîche, to serve
For the caramel:
160g (51⁄2oz/3⁄4 cup) light brown soft sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
120ml (4fl oz/1⁄2 cup) double (heavy) cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
1⁄2 tsp sea salt flakes, or more to taste
splash rum (optional)
Plus, a handful of toasted walnuts, chopped, and crème fraîche, to serve.
Method:
For the pancakes:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt, and make a well in the centre. In a jug, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go, to make a smooth batter. Don’t over beat or your pancakes will be tough. Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes. The batter will thicken over this time, so stir in 1–2 tbsp cold water before cooking. 2. Heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and when hot enough – a sprinkle of water should hiss and sizzle – brush with butter or oil. Pour 60ml (2fl oz/1⁄4 cup) batter into the pan, quickly swirling the pan to cover the base. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the edges of the crêpe-style pancake look dry and the underneath is golden. Loosen the edges with a palette knife, flip, and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. 3. Layer them between sheets of greaseproof paper and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
For the topping:
1. Start with the pears. Peel and cut them into eighths lengthways and remove the cores. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, then add the pears and reduce the heat to medium–high. Cook for about 6 minutes, turning often, until golden and just tender. Add more butter to the pan if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
2. For the caramel, whisk together the sugar, golden syrup, and 50ml (13⁄4fl oz/scant 1⁄4 cup) cold water in a pan off the heat. Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly, then add the vanilla. Stir in the butter, salt, and rum (if using). Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thickened – the sauce will thicken further as it cools.
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3. Fold the pancakes into quarters and divide between serving plates. Distribute the pears and walnuts on top and drizzle over some of the caramel sauce. Serve with crème fraîche, with extra sauce on the table for those who want more.
Posh Pancakes / Faith Mason
Passionfruit curd coconut pancakes
This recipe will make more fruit curd than you could possibly get through in one Tuesday night, but this a good thing: store the leftovers in a jar in your fridge for slathering on everything from toast to pavlova.
Makes: 10 crêpe-style pancakes
For the coconut pancake batter:
3 tbsp desiccated coconut 130g (41⁄2oz/1 cup)
plain (all-purpose) white flour
3 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
200ml (7fl oz/generous 3⁄4 cup) coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
For the passion fruit curd:
12 passion fruits
150g (5oz) unsalted butter, melted
150g (5oz/3⁄4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs, plus 3 extra yolks, lightly beaten
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Plus, coconut yoghurt, to serve.
Method:
For the pancakes:
1. Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan, moving it about constantly with a wooden spoon, until pale gold. Transfer to a mixing bowl, then add the flours, sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre. In a jug, whisk together the egg, coconut milk, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and 100ml (31⁄2 fl oz/scant 1⁄2 cup) cold water. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go, to make a smooth batter. Don’t over beat or the pancakes will be tough. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes, then stir in 3 tablespoons of cold water to thin out a little.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium–high heat and brush generously with coconut oil. Pour 60ml (2fl oz/1⁄4 cup) batter into the pan, quickly swirling the pan as you go, to cover the base. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the top starts to look dry and the bottom golden. Flip and cook for a further 30 seconds and repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Serve the pancakes immediately or layer them between sheets of greaseproof paper and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
For the topping:
1. For the curd, scoop the passion fruit pulp out of the fruit into a small pan and gently warm through over a medium heat. Pour the pulp into a sieve set over a bowl and push it through with the back of a spoon to separate the seeds. Discard the seeds.
2. Place the seedless pulp and the remaining curd ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, and stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens to a custard consistency. The curd will thicken more as it cools.
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3. Serve the coconut pancakes warm with the curd spooned over, topped with a dollop of coconut yoghurt.
Posh Pancakes / Faith Mason Posh Pancakes
Chocolate pancake cake
You need to cook an absurd number of pancakes for this cake – but the results are impressive. And very chocolatey.
Makes: 1 cake (Serves 12–16)
For the pancakes:
You’ll need about three quantities of the ingredients for around 30 pancakes.
For the chocolate filling:
300ml (10fl oz/11⁄4 cups) double (heavy) cream
300g (101⁄2oz) mix of dark/milk chocolate, chopped
pinch salt
golden syrup, to taste (optional)
For the chocolate glaze:
200ml (7fl oz/generous 3⁄4 cup) double (heavy) cream
100g (31⁄2oz) mix of dark/milk chocolate
pinch salt
golden syrup, to taste (optional)
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Method:
For the pancakes:
Use the instructions in the first recipe.
For the topping:
1. Make the filling by pouring the cream into a pan and heat until almost boiling. Pull the pan off the heat, add the chocolate and salt, and stir until completely combined. Have a taste and add some golden syrup to sweeten (if using). Set aside to cool and thicken.
2. To assemble the cake, use a palette knife to spread a thin layer of the filling over each pancake, stacking them into a tower on a plate as you go. If you’re striving for neatness, stamp out perfect pancake circles using the ring of a 20-cm (8-in) loose-bottom cake tin. Insert the base into the tin, and then stack the chocolate-covered pancakes inside as you go. Transfer to the fridge to chill and set for 30 minutes.
3. Now, slide the cake onto a wire rack set over a tray or baking sheet (releasing it from the tin if you’ve used one) – an egg slice is useful to do this. To make the glaze, heat the cream as you did for the filling, add the chocolate and salt, and stir to combine. Add golden syrup to taste (if using). Leave to cool a little – you need the glaze to be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat the pancakes. Pour the glaze over the pancake stack so that it runs down and covers the sides. Chill to set. Serve in modest slices with whipped cream or crème fraîche on the side.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--How Instagram Culture Is Contributing To The Climate Crisis

Isabella Carapella/HuffPost; Photos: Getty Isabella Carapella/HuffPost; Photos: Getty
What Will Be Lost is a series of reported stories and essays exploring the ways climate change is affecting our relationship to one another, to our sense of place, and to ourselves.
In 2018, popular beauty vlogger Samantha Ravndahl announced to her legion of subscribers that she would no longer accept boxes of promotional samples because she was concerned about the waste in beauty packaging.
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“I was feeling like this walking billboard because all I was doing was constantly pumping out videos of new products,” Ravndahl said. It wasn’t just her own waste she was trying to combat. It was the glamorisation that “new” means better ― a trend that social media has certainly amplified in recent years.
It happens with clothes, too. One of the biggest “rules” in fashion is not duplicating an outfit. It’s so deeply embedded in our culture’s subconscious that people can still vividly recall a scene from ’00s Disney show “Lizzie McGuire” in which mean girl Kate Sanders accuses Lizzie of being an outfit repeater. Fast forward almost two decades and the insult still carries weight.
Now social media gives users unlimited potential to broadcast their lives — and increasing pressure to dress for it as well. Forty-one percent of 19- to 25-year-olds said they won’t rewear an outfit to go out in a survey from the environmental charity Hubbub. For 17%, rewearing it all was a nonstarter if they’d posted a picture of themselves in it on Instagram.
The consequences of an entire generation rapidly cycling through products and clothes — the majority of them completely non-degradable — is apocalyptic. As it stands, the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of all global carbon emissions in the world.
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Consumers play a major role — consumers who are deeply influenced by social media and who copycat the behaviour of others. But in these times of impending environmental doom, it’s worth reexamining the patterns that make them complicit in the climate crisis, starting with their relationship with social media.
What’s Old Is … Old
Before social media, there were magazines, of course: glossy pages upon pages that dictated what was in and out. Popular publications like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar served as instructional manuals for what to wear or not wear at a given moment, perpetuating the idea that fashion had an expiration date.
Fashion is intrinsically tied to identity and politics, but the bottom line is that fashion exists to sell itself.
“What’s popular now on Instagram won’t be popular in a few months and all of that contributes to textile waste.” - Adam Minter, author of “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale"
“Fashion is not a practical business and if it was, no one would buy anything,” said Tyler McCall, editor-in-chief of the site Fashionista. “For example: You may already have a handbag, but here’s why you should get this specific handbag, and it goes on and on.”
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Adam Minter, author of “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale,” noted that the culture around consumption has drastically increased in recent years. Between 2003 and 2017, the amount of apparel sold globally doubled, but the amount of times a single piece of garment is worn dropped by a third. The fast nature of trends only escalated this concern, and social media then amplified it.
“When someone buys a piece of clothing for Instagram, the resale value decreases,” said Minter. “Even if they return it, it’s not going to end up back on the rack because it’s already starting to wear out or go out of style. What’s popular now on Instagram won’t be popular in a few months and all of that contributes to textile waste.”
The conversation about whether fashion can be sustainable at all is a complicated one. While more fashion brands are jumping aboard the sustainability train by trying to improve their sourcing and processes, there are just as many that greenwash, or mislead buyers about how environmentally friendly their products really are.
Therein lies the trap of “shopping sustainability.” In addition to the higher cost that sustainably made items bring, producing more clothing with better practices cannot address the heaps of unworn, discarded clothes already made ― not to mention the brands that burn millions of dollars’ worth of unsold stock each year or send returned items straight to the dump. Even if you send your old clothes to thrift stores or charity, 80 to 90% of it still ends up at the landfill.
“Our sustainability writer, Whitney [Bauck], likes to say, ‘You can’t shop your way out of the sustainability problem,’” said McCall.
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The Influence Economy
The vlogger Ravndahl, with 982,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2.1 million followers on Instagram, has considerably more reach than the average human. But when four in five consumers say they have made a purchase because an influencer shared it, influencers also have a responsibility. For Ravndahl, it means setting an example of doing what is doable to move forward.
“If we are able to slowly push into the direction of less waste, that’s the best thing we can do than sit around and feel helpless,” said Ravndahl. “It’s no excuse to continue wasting unreasonably if you don’t need to.”
Sam Fazz, a fashion influencer who sports the casual chic aesthetic dominating Instagram these days, says that actively recognising the urge to shop unnecessarily is key to stopping wasteful behaviour. And she thinks her content is better for it.
“It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s cool and want a new outfit every day to show off,” she said. “Something that I realised with my own content is that it’s not about what you’re wearing; it’s about who you are and the way you put things together. It doesn’t have to be trendy or new; it’s about having something real to say.”
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Even Fazz isn’t immune to the temptations of social media, but knowing she doesn’t have to rely on props for engagement has made her a stronger creator.
“It’s actually empowering to know I’m not giving in to the pressure of other people and I’m not projecting a false image of myself,” she said. “You learn to talk about fashion in a different way, because you’re being more creative in your styling.”
Fashion At Warp Speed
It’s a game of chicken or the egg to decide who is to blame for the culture of waste: social media or fashion itself? The answer is a toxic combination of both. Alice Marwick, a professor of communications at the University of North Carolina, credits this to digital culture accelerating some of the more insidious patterns of the industry.
“It’s very rare to see a behaviour on social media that has no basis in pre-social media. The behaviours that tend to take off are the ones that already have a precedent in our culture,” said Marwick. “Fashion culture has sped up in the last couple of decades. Trends now can be trends that disappear in a matter of months. Something can be in style and then be out of style in a moment.”
The consequences of a short life cycle for garment — now dependent on its longevity on social media — is our environment. In the face of potentially irreversible climate crisis, it could not be more clear that the draws of social media, measured in likes and shares, is not worth the harm it’s doing to the planet.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--Blue Passports Are Coming Back: Here's What You Need To Know

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For almost as long as we’ve had the word Brexit, we’ve been promised that one day we’ll get our blue passports back.
As you’ll probably be aware, the UK officially left the EU on January 31 – and preparations for our actual separation have begun in earnest.
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That means our new blue passports will be here before long, so here are the answers to all of your questions about the new-look documents:
When will the blue passports return?
The government have announced that the first new blue passports will be issued from the beginning of March 2020, with all new passports issued to be blue by the middle of the year.
If you’re applying for a new passport within that period of time there’s no guarantee on what colour you’ll be getting.
How will they differ from the burgundy passports?
Apart from the obvious change in colour, the new passports will of course no longer bear the words “European Union” across the top. Instead, the front cover will state “British Passport”, and the text which states “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” will move slightly.
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The back cover of the new passports will now feature embossed floral emblems of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The new passports are said to be the greenest and most technologically advanced yet, with new and updated security features to keep personal data secure.
According to manufacturers, the identity page will now be made of the same material used to make bulletproof glass.
Home secretary Priti Patel said that by returning to the “iconic” blue and gold design, the passports will “once again be entwined with our national identity”.
She said: “Leaving the European Union gave us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path in the world.
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“By returning to the iconic blue and gold design, the British passport will once again be entwined with our national identity and I cannot wait to travel on one.”
Where are they being made?
They might represent a celebration of our national identity, but they won’t actually be made here in the UK.
The contract to produce the passports was controversially awarded to Gemalto, which is owned French firm Thales, but the documents will continue to be personalised with the holder’s details in the UK.
British company De La Rue, which formerly made the passports, lost out on 11-year, £260m contract for the new passports in 2018.
The then-chief executive of the Basingstoke-based company Martin Sutherland told the BBC in 2018 that he had been “surprised and disappointed” by the decision to hand the contract to French rivals.
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It has also since been revealed that the passports will actually be manufactured in a Thales-owned factory in the Polish town of Tczew, according to a report in The Times.
De La Rue – also a major manufacturer of bank notes worldwide – has since suffered with declining share prices and reports of an uncertain future have been published widely.
How many jobs will they create?
According to its website, Gemalto employs some 500 staff across five sites in the UK.
When the contract was confirmed in 2018, the Passport Office said the new blue passports would create 70 British jobs as Gemalto increased their workforce in the UK.
How much will one cost?
There’s no indication that the cost of a passport for members of the public will change as the blue documents are gradually reintroduced.
For a standard 34-page adult passport it currently costs £75.50 to apply online, or £85 to apply via a paper form.
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When did we stop using blue passports?
For an entire generation of Britons a burgundy passport is all they’ve ever known – they were first rolled out in 1988 and have been printed that way ever since.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--Coronavirus: Britons Evacuated From Stricken Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Land In UK

Thirty-two British and European evacuees from the coronavirus–stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship have landed in the UK.
The repatriation flight, which also carried British government and medical staff, touched down at Ministry of Defence base Boscombe Down in Wiltshire shortly after 11.30am on Saturday morning.
Passengers will now be taken by road to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for 14 days of quarantine to protect against the spread of the illness should any of them be infected. They have so far tested negative for Covid-19.
The evacuees have spent more than two weeks trapped on the coronavirus-stricken ship off the coast of Japan.
It is unclear where the small number of EU citizens will be taken following the plane landing in the UK.
In a statement issued after the plane landed, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “We have brought 32 British and European citizens safely home from Japan.
“The FCO worked hard to get them back to the UK securely.
“Our number one priority has consistently been the health and safety of UK nationals.”
The four Britons on board the Diamond Princess who have tested positive for coronavirus were not on the flight.
Arrowe Park was previously used to host 83 British nationals for a 14-day quarantine period earlier in February after they were flown out of Wuhan in China which became the centre of the outbreak.
One passenger, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 but has since been given the all-clear, joked before the flight that the experience would be like visiting a holiday camp.
Honeymooner Alan Steele was taken to a Japanese hospital and has since tested negative for the virus and been reunited with wife Wendy.
“Wendy’s test was negative so Butlins the Wirral here we come for 14 days,” Mr Steele posted on Facebook.
Since being kept on board the cruise liner in the port of Yokohama, a total of 634 passengers and crew have been infected, accounting for more than half of all the confirmed coronavirus cases outside of China.
It is understood some British nationals who are part of the Diamond Princess crew opted to remain.
One British couple on board who were diagnosed with coronavirus have both since been diagnosed with pneumonia.
The family of David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, said they have now been moved to a “prison”-like hospital.
The couple were on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary when it was placed under quarantine.
David has been diagnosed with acute pneumonia, while Sally is believed to have a mild case of the illness.
Although they were originally in a hospital just 90 minutes from the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship, Sally called her son in the middle of the night to say the couple were suddenly being moved to a different “three-star” hospital.
Steve Abel, their son, posted video updates on the couple’s YouTube channel alongside his wife Roberta on Friday night and Saturday morning.
Britons in Cambodia who left another cruise ship, the Westerdam, and who have been cleared for travel, are also being assisted by the Foreign Office to make their way home.
All have tested negative after one case was diagnosed on board.
In order to help combat the spread of the virus in the UK, the NHS has started pilots of home testing for coronavirus where NHS staff, including nurses and paramedics, will visit people in their own homes.
Despite a marked decline in the number of new cases in China, the spread of the disease has continued to cause concern worldwide.
On Saturday morning Italy reported its second death from the virus – a woman living in the northern region of Lombardy. Her death was announced just a day after a 78-year-old man became the first person to die from the new form of the virus in the country.
South Korea on Saturday reported 346 coronavirus cases – a six-fold jump in four days – with most linked to a church and a hospital in and around its fourth-largest city.
Schools were closed in Daegu, with churchgoers and others told to avoid mass gatherings in a bid to contain the disease.
Initial infections were linked to China, but new cases in South Korea and Iran — where there have been four deaths — do not show a clear connection to travel there.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned clusters not directly linked to travel, such as those in South Korea and Iran, suggested time might be running out to contain the outbreak.
“The window of opportunity is still there. But our window of opportunity is narrowing,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We need to act quickly before it closes completely.”
Dr Tedros singled out Iran’s discovery of 18 cases and four deaths in two days — and that a traveller from Iran carried the virus to Lebanon, and another traveller from Iran to Canada.
“These dots are very concerning — take them as dots or trends,” he said.
Globally, more than 77,000 people have been infected in 29 countries, and more than 2,300 have died.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Being A Family With Two Dads

Being A Family With Two Dads

Being A Family With Two Dads
When Garry and Kyle met, the two were both open and honest on their desire to begin a family. Soon, they were beginning the process of fostering children and became the first male same-sex couple in Kent to do so. What they found along the way however was a process that didn’t have much scope for families that didn’t subscribe to a man and woman being a couple. This continued as their fostering turned into adoption of their four children but now they’re living live as a family that shows that not all families have to be the same to work.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Environment Secretary Refuses To Rule Out Chlorinated Chicken In The UK Post-Brexit

The environment secretary has refused to rule out chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef being imported from the US in a post-Brexit trade deal.
George Eustice, who was made secretary in the recent reshuffle also defended the government’s new immigration system, after businesses raised fears of a shortage of workers.
His predecessor had insisted the controversial meat products from the US would not be imported amid animal welfare and environmental fears.
But Eustice, while saying there are “no plans” to change the law, did not explicitly rule it out when pressed three times on the subject.
With the government expected to publish its negotiating position for a free trade deal with Washington within two weeks, he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday that the government would not “take risks” on standards of welfare.
But he said “lactic acid washes” are now more commonly used in the US than chlorine, which is unlikely to allay fears over animal welfare because concerns centre on treatment before the washes themselves.
“What I’m saying is we won’t make any moves on our standards, we’ve got a clear position in this country that it is illegal to sell chlorine-washed chicken, illegal to sell beef treated with hormones, we have no plans to change those things,” he said.
Theresa Villiers, who was relegated from leading the environment department to the backbenches in Boris Johnson’s reshuffle, had been explicit in January that the EU laws banning chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef would be adopted here.
“There are legal barriers to their import and those are going to stay in place,” she added.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrats’ food and rural affairs spokesman, accused the Conservatives of having backed down on their commitment.
“Farming communities up and down the country are rightly concerned about being undercut by low-standard imports from the US,” he said.
“With the Tories’ desperation for a trade deal with Donald Trump, it would appear they are rolling back on their promises. They are wilfully threatening British consumers and farmers.”
The government’s immigration plans set out on Wednesday are designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering the UK, drawing criticism from businesses who have said the move could choke the necessary supply of workers.
Eustice, who used to run a strawberry farm, stressed a seasonal agricultural workers scheme will be an “important part of immigration policy in the future”.
He said there would be a quadrupling of the size of the scheme to 10,000 initially this year, but this still falls short of National Farmers’ Union calls for 70,000.
Eustice said ministers would be working out a “fully fledged” programme for the future.
Home secretary Priti Patel had suggested lower-skilled jobs could be filled by eight million people classed as “economically inactive”.
But she drew criticism after it was pointed out that the Office for National Statistics estimates most of these are students, long-term sick, carers or retired.
“I don’t think the Home Secretary was saying that all eight million of those people would be able to fill these, just that there are people there who might,” he told Sky.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Environment Secretary Defends Boris Johnson For Not Visiting Flood Victims

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Environment secretary George Eustice has defended Boris Johnson for defying calls to visit flood-stricken areas.
He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that the “first thing” the prime minister told him last week when he was appointed to the role was that there were storms incoming.
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“It was agreed that I would make a visit to look at our preparedness over that weekend,” Eustice said.
“It’s not true that the prime minister’s not been engaged in this. From the very moment he appointed me he’s been engaged. We stood up a national flood response centre and there have been daily conference calls that I’ve led.
“And in a cabinet government it’s not a one-man show, it’s right that on certain operational things such as this that the prime minister will ask one of his cabinet members to lead, I can’t see anything wrong with that.”
Eustice said it was not “necessary” to assemble the government’s emergency Cobra response to the floods as there was already a system in place.
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It came after Tory Craig Whittaker, the MP for flood-hit Calder Valley said the government’s response was “not good enough”.
Communities are bracing themselves as further bands of torrential rain began sweeping across Britain on Sunday with no end in sight to the winter storms.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for heavy rain on Sunday morning in an already soaked South Wales as yet another wave of torrential rain moved over the country from the south-west.
Forecasters said this will give way to more showery weather as the day progresses but the storm will sweep in again on Sunday night, bringing rain and high winds to many areas and snow to parts of Scotland and northern England on Monday.
While the extreme weather should settle down over Tuesday and Wednesday, the Met Office said further heavy rain is expected later in the week.
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The bleak outlook follows more than a fortnight of downpours and flooding that started with Storm Ciara, continued with Storm Dennis and then kept going with the storms over the weekend, which – contrary to some reports – have not been named by the Met Office.
The number of flood warnings in force in England dropped slightly on Saturday afternoon as the rain relented in many areas – albeit with gale-force winds continuing in the north.
On Saturday night, five flood warnings remained in force across Wales – mainly on the River Severn and River Dee – with 23 flood alerts.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Jameela Jamil Shares 'Final Word' On Viral Instagram Posts About Her Past Illnesses And Injuries

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Jameela Jamil has shared what she has described as her “final word” on the recent backlash she found herself at the centre of, after a string of Instagram posts about her past injuries and illnesses went viral.
Earlier this month, Jameela was forced to speak out after one Instagram user rounded up quotes the Good Place star had given in interviews over the years, which it was suggested contradicted one another.
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Among them were accounts of an incident when she was hit by a car after being chased by a bee (which was referred to as a “swarm of bees” in later retellings), and an accident she had while filming with Olly Murs, which resulted in a number of injuries.
There were also quotes about her past as an aspiring model, as well as a peanut allergy, which Jameela later claimed had been cured after a bout of mercury poisoning.
Reflecting on the backlash early on Sunday morning, Jameela revealed that she felt “triggered... to a point of near death”.
Jameela Jamil SIPA USA/PA Images
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“I’ve answered every question about my health,” she wrote. “EDS [Ehlers-Danlos syndromes], MCAS [Mast cell activation syndrome], POTS [Postural tachycardia syndrome], all of which come together. Mercury poisoning. My clumsiness. Etc. (Which was hurtful and offensive to justify but I can’t stand lies.)”
Jameela said: “I have no further controversies to answer to and hope we can all move on from a conspiracy theory a privileged white woman I have never met… started against me for literally no reason, as I pose no threat to anyone other than the diet/detox industry.
“And we are done. I’m tired of the bullying. The taunting over my mental and physical health. I’m to the people who have Munchausen that your health was used as a punchline and slur by people like Piers Morgan and other such powerful people online.
“I am so sorry to all the people who shared their accounts of not being believed over the chronic health problems and invisible disabilities. I’ve experienced that my whole life and it’s traumatising and isolating.”
Jameela with boyfriend James Blake at the Grammys last month Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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“Last week triggered me to a point of near death,” she continued. “I have a fragile past with suicide. If you live in pain and have to survive a lot, just to still be here, it’s *agonising* to have people tell you that you made it up. I would have preferred a happier, pain free life with more fun and experiences rather than just struggling through month to month.
“What happened to me was incredibly cruel and scary and it triggered a lot of people who live in the same situation as me. Our lives are hard enough without gaslighting and abuse and I’m glad at least we know we have each other because all this shit is out in the open.”
Useful websites and helplines:
Mind , open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org
Jameela added: “A massive massive thanks/love to the people who stood by me and sent me so much love throughout this sad waste of everyone’s time. It was very boring and weird and may this be the last any of us hear of this again.”
And a massive massive thanks/love to the people who stood by me and sent me so much love throughout this sad waste of everyone’s time. It was very boring and weird and may this be the last any of us hear of this again. I would still like to spread the rumor that I’m BANKSY though — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) February 23, 2020
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Shortly before the posts about her had gone viral, Jameela joked that she hoped to have a “calmer week” than the one before, as she reflected on the “clusterfuck” of having come out as queer amid a backlash over her involvement in a new show about voguing.
“Well. Last week was a perfect clusterfuck,” she wrote. “It was completely overwhelming.”
Admitting she felt her timing was “bad”, “inappropriate” and “unfortunate’, Jameela continued: “The sequence of events was insane, a misunderstanding was left uncorrected for too long, and misinformation spread too far, too fast, then my timing was bad, and in a moment of distress and pain, personal things were blurted out because when you have a secret for decades and you’re traumati[s]ed, it always feels like it might just fucking burst out of you at any given moment, even the most inappropriate and unfortunate ones.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--We're Living In China During The Coronavirus Outbreak. Every Day Is Now Deeply Unnerving.

Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
It is a strange time to be living in China. We are an American couple and have been living abroad for many years. We’ve spent the past several years in a large, northern city in China. Our experience in this country has been overwhelmingly positive ― we like living here. It has been fun, interesting and — yes — at times challenging. So while this current situation involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it is affecting our daily lives has become unsettling, we want to be clear that for us, living in China has been more of a wonderful adventure than a struggle.
In January, we were looking forward to a quiet Chinese New Year break and had no plans other than to hang out with our friends. Just before the holiday, we started to hear about the new virus. We began to notice fewer people outside and those we did see were increasingly wearing masks.
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When the break started, strangers told us emphatically that we should also put on a mask. We thought it was silly ― we knew that masks, while important for a doctor working directly with a sick person, were not necessary for every person in the city. And as far as we could tell, the virus was like a cold: only dangerous to people who were already sick.
As the New Year holiday progressed, the responses became more strident. Schools began closing and we learned that our break would be extended by two weeks. It all seemed like an overreaction to us, but one that we could manage with small get-togethers with friends, sleeping in a bit and spending lots of time in pyjamas.
The first few days were fine — fun even. We were told not to gather in groups but felt we simply could not stay at home by ourselves for three weeks. We had a small surprise party for a friend’s birthday, met up with another friend at the mall, bought socks at H&M and went to Starbucks. But when we got to Starbucks, the employees wouldn’t let us in. Instead, we were told to order our drinks through the Starbucks app from outside the store. While we waited for our lattes, the employees took our temperatures and recorded our information at the door.
A table set up near the door at a Starbucks, where customers’ temperatures were taken before they were able to pick up their coffees. COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS
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The following week the restrictions grew tighter and it wasn’t as easy for us to get out of our neighborhood. There had been rumors that Didi (a ride-hailing app like Uber) and delivery drivers were going to be banned from coming into our neighborhood. Then roadblocks went up on main thoroughfares. This was frustrating but we could still walk down side streets to get a taxi if we needed one.
Then walls were put up. They were on all the side streets of our neighborhood, blocking every way out except for two main entrances. The walls are metal, roughly 8 feet tall and painted bright blue. We saw them being installed, welded to rebar cemented into the street. They stretch from the concrete residential wall of a house, across the sidewalk and over the entire street to a concrete wall on the other side.
The first day the walls were up, someone found a seam between two of the metal sheets and bent back a small part, just big enough to slip through — probably with produce from the market on the other side. We knew we shouldn’t try to go through the opening but there was something reassuring about seeing that someone else also felt that the walls were more of an inconvenience than a necessary safety measure. But the next day, the hole was fixed and a tight crisscross of barbed wire had been added across the entire wall, with metal poles extending the barbed wire at the top.
The main entrances to our neighborhood are now heavily staffed with security guards wearing masks and smoking cigarettes. Everyone is checked when they come in ― temperature, license plate number and ID number are all recorded.
A wall that was recently put up to block a side street in the authors' neighborhood. Courtesy of the authors
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At about the same time the walls were put up, a curfew was imposed: no one in or out from midnight to 6 a.m. While we do not typically travel after midnight, it felt like an imposition.
Then a few days ago, everyone in the neighborhood had to register with a local committee and get a special pass that we now must show to get into our neighborhood. If you don’t have a pass, you cannot get in. Now, along with blocking Didis and deliveries, there can be no visitors.
We were notified that working from home would extend until at least March 9 — possibly longer.
Everything we read and hear maintains that the virus is not an imminent threat to us. Relative to the millions of people in our city, a tiny number of people have gotten sick; far fewer have died. But our effort to be rational about the threat does not really help. The scale of the response seems like an overreaction — or it suggests that things are much worse than we are being told. We have a lot of time on our hands to wonder which it is.
The psychological struggle has started to feel real. We began to try to figure out what self-care looks like when the only store that is open is a small grocery and you can’t see anyone besides those you live with. We set an alarm and get up each morning at a normal time for work. We continue to do our typical morning routines of showering and putting ourselves together. We’ve started meditating. We make sure to take a lunch break. We now go for runs every afternoon.
It’s not easy to maintain sanity, even with this self-care. On our runs, we go past the blocked streets, out to the checkpoint and back, always slightly worried that the guards will take our temperature and it will be elevated from running with a mask on. The prospect of being put in a more formal quarantine or worse ― sent to a local hospital ― is frightening. Our limited experiences with hospitals here have not instilled much confidence.
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The rumors are a problem too. They say there is a case in the apartments near the grocery. They say there is a case in the apartments by the school. They say you can get 500 renminbi (rmb), the currency here, if you turn someone in who didn’t self-quarantine after visiting Hubei, where coronavirus originated.
We try to check all these rumors for validity. A lot of people have heard of the suspected cases. And we saw a picture of a notice in Chinese, confirming that people actually can get 500 rmb if they turn someone in. So at least some of the rumors are true.
It is especially hard because there appears to be no end in sight. Going back to work on March 9 seems distant and unlikely, even as the rate of new cases seems to be decreasing. Returning to the U.S. at this time is not feasible: With flights being cancelled, tickets are now around $2,000 (£1,543) — we would have to turn in a lot of people to get that much money! — and we would likely have to self-quarantine for two weeks there. Even then, we’re not sure people would want to see us for fear of contagion. If we did leave, we would be required to self-quarantine in China for an additional two weeks after we returned.
For now, the internet still works, though it is sometimes slow. We are particularly worried that we will eventually lose access completely. It feels like we are breathing through a narrow tube and someone could step on it at any time and cut us off.
Our house is nice and we enjoy each other’s company, and we understand there are people in the world living through far worse than this. Friends from abroad are frequently texting offering support. But cumulatively, all of these things are taking a toll. The masks, the rumours, the escalating restrictions, the vague fear that maybe it’s much worse than we think, and the inability to find out anything for certain are all exhausting. How long can we stay in our neighbourhood, or just in our house? How long will meditating and running keep us from killing each other?
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We’re continuing with our structured days. We try not to think too far into the future. We aim to alternate being anxious and reassuring each other. The overwhelming likelihood is that things go back to normal sometime in the coming weeks. But for now, we just don’t know.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on HuffPost US Personal, who chose to anonymously publish this first-person account by an American couple living in China because of the potential risks to the authors if their real names were used.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Friends Fans In The UK Have Had A Distressing Realisation About The Upcoming Reunion Episode

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Friends fans have had a rather disappointing realisation about the upcoming one-off reunion special, more specifically those that live in the UK.
On Friday night, all six members of the main Friends cast confirmed simultaneously that they’d be appearing in a new one-off “celebration” looking back at the classic sitcom, 16 years after it was last on our screens.
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The special is set to debut on the new streaming platform HBO Max in May, alongside all 10 series of Friends.
However, while British fans of the Emmy-winning series were initially thrilled to hear that the cast were reuniting for the first time since the show ended, others quickly pointed out that because HBO Max isn’t launching in the UK, there’s every chance we won’t actually be able to watch the show here.
Oh.
The cast of Friends at the height of the show's success NBC via Getty Images
Understandably, many fans were disappointed by this, many of whom have been voicing their upset on social media…
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EKKKKKKKK @FriendsTV is back for a Reunion Episode but how are we going to watch - if @hbomax isn’t available in the UK? 🇬🇧 🏴 #FriendsReunion — Aaron Pleming (@Aaronplem) February 22, 2020
Devastated that those of us in the UK won't be able to watch HBO Max for @FriendsTV Reunion. How will I watch it please?!?!?!?!?!?!? — Holly 🎉🤗🎊 (@DeckTheHolly8) February 22, 2020
With HBO Max not coming to the UK where will the Friends Special be shown in the UK? As Friends has been on many different channels in the UK — Paul Ferrer (@paullferrer) February 22, 2020
Realising the friends reunion is on an American channel and I’m british pic.twitter.com/xt4TtBio2x — Lu🌺 (@_friendscentral) February 22, 2020
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However, some have also pointed out that Sky Atlantic regularly show HBO content in the UK – including Game Of Thrones, Girls and Westworld – suggesting it could end up being the UK home of the Friends reunion, even though they don’t show the series itself.
Unless Sky Atlantic show it, be years until it can be seen in UK. HBO Max arent coming to UK and friends won't be available in UK either. — Richard Veale Bult 🇵🇸 🇨🇦 🇮🇷 (@southcoastbloke) February 22, 2020
Purely guessing, but a lot of HBO content goes on Sky Atlantic... — Sarah O'Connell (@SarahO_Connell) February 22, 2020
Friends things:
- literally just a chat show/documentary, absolutely not an episode
- HBO Max isn’t launching here (they’ve extended the Sky/HBO deal, and make way too much money from it to go direct to consumer at the moment) so you may not see it — Robin Edds (@robinedds) February 22, 2020
- HBO could license it out around the world to companies (like Netflix *kisses badge*) who hold the Friends rights, but are they not just then doing their marketing for them?
- Sky could show it as part of their HBO deal, but as they don’t have Friends that would be...odd — Robin Edds (@robinedds) February 22, 2020
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The One Where We Convince Mum To Get Sky Atlantic — GSV(ecc) Social Pupae (@a_rdavey) February 21, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted HBO Max for more information.
The unscripted special will see the show’s cast returning to the soundstage on which Friends was filmed, reflecting on the sitcom’s global impact and best moments.
It will be directed by Ben Winston, best known for his work alongside James Corden on The Late, Late Show.
Friends is currently airing on Comedy Central in the UK, as well as streaming on Netflix, following its debut on the streaming platform in 2018, gaining the classic sitcom a new generation of fans.
This led to many younger viewers watching Friends for the first time, many of whom quickly began pointing out more problematic aspects of the show, namely a distinct lack of diversity and homophobic jokes about the character Charles Bing.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Harry Dunn's Family Call For Julian Assange's Extradition To Be Blocked

The family of Harry Dunn have called for Julian Assange’s extradition to be blocked for as long as the US refuses to send the suspect in the teenager’s death back to the UK.
The 19-year-old’s parents have said they believe any further extradition requests by the US should be refused after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo rejected the return of the woman involved in their son’s death, Anne Sacoolas, in January.
Speaking about Assange’s potential extradition to the US, family Dunn family spokesperson Radd Seiger said: “Harry Dunn’s family understand and respect the importance of extradition procedures between nations and the huge public interest that attaches to extradition.
“No one is above the law and no one must be allowed to evade justice if they manage to flee a country, whether diplomat or not.
“That said, in refusing the UK’s perfectly lawful request to extradite Anne Sacoolas, and not even following the legal and judicial process the US/UK Treaty calls for, the US has launched the single greatest attack on the so called special relationship between the countries in modern memory.”
Dunn was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car driven by Sacoolas outside a US military base in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year.
Sacoolas, the 42-year-old wife of an intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, was granted diplomatic immunity after the crash and sparked international controversy after being allowed to return to her home country.
She was later charged with causing Dunn’s death by dangerous driving.
Seiger added: “The US is not behaving like an ally and has effectively thumbed its nose up at the UK and ignored the clearly laid out provisions in the treaty, effectively tearing it up.
“The principle of reciprocity is at the core of any extradition treaty. Despite its disgraceful refusal to extradite Anne Sacoolas, the US continues to seek the extradition of people in the UK such as Julian Assange.
“In doing so, they are demonstrating an extraordinary amount of hypocrisy and the double standards on display are unprecedented. The US needs to be brought firmly back into line on the international stage and be made to understand that they are not going to have their way.”
Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles and father, Tim Dunn, said they were told by foreign secretary Dominic Raab that the government was “reviewing all our options” after Pompeo’s refusal to extradite Sacoolas.
Seiger said the Foreign Affairs Committee had accepted their request for an inquiry into the extradition, and into the diplomatic immunity granted to Mrs Sacoolas.
Earlier this month, the Foreign Office said they had “no plans” to launch a public inquiry into the case – saying the case had been handled “properly and lawfully throughout”.
The family’s statement followed a protest held on Saturday, which saw hundreds of Assange’s supporters march through London ahead of next week’s full extradition hearing.
Calling for the government to block the extradition request, Seiger said: “In accordance with the principle of reciprocity which the US is failing to abide by, on behalf of Harry Dunn’s family and the millions of concerned citizens in the UK, I now demand that the UK authorities block any further extraditions to the US, including the one of Julian Assange, until such time as Anne Sacoolas is extradited and back on UK soil facing the justice system here.
“Dominic Raab told us when we met with him on January 27 that ‘we are reviewing all our options’ following the refusal to extradite Anne Sacoolas.
“I now call him to exercise that option of refusing to extradite Julian Assange and others to the USA.
“It is high time that the UK government comes out and shows us what they are made of if they are to instil any confidence that they really do have our backs, Harry’s family having been so badly let down following his death last August.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--Pussycat Dolls' Saturday Night Takeaway Performance Poked Fun At X Factor Backlash

Back in December, shortly after it was announced that they were getting back together, the chart-topping girl group performed a string of their hits, and new single React, during the X Factor: Celebrity final.
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However, shortly after their X Factor performance, it was reported that more than 4000 viewers complained to Ofcom about the band’s revealing outfits and provocative choreography.
And during their second TV performance since their reunion on Saturday night, the band even made fun of the controversy in their own oh-so-PCD way.
The PCD perform Beep on Saturday Night Takeaway iTV
During the first Saturday Night Takeaway of the series, the band kicked things off with a rendition of Buttons, towards the end of which Ant and Dec were seen (jokingly, we should add), disapprovingly getting out of their seats, in a bid to “censor” the routine.
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The best bit of the whole thing came when an ITV test card appeared to flash up on screen, reading: “We’re sorry for the disruption… we’re working hard to fix the issue and will return to normal family friendly, not at all sexy, uncontroversial programming soon.”
It was then revealed this was actually only a backdrop, which Nicole Scherzinger then burst through as the band finished their rendition of Don’t Cha.
Wow ITV
The performance ended with Ant and Dec taking off their jackets and shirts to “cover up” the band, only for them to be the ones who ended up in their underwear live on TV.
Nicole previously said of the backlash to the band’s X Factor performance: “We’re not trying to upset anybody. Our true fans know our intention.
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“Our real fans know we’re empowering and we come from a place of strength as singers and dancers.”
Ant and Dec with the Pussycat Dolls ITV
Later this year, the five-piece will be travelling around the UK as part of their latest arena tour, a decade after they last hit the road together.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--The UK's First Citizens' Supermarket Is Giving Dignity Back To People In Food Poverty

There’s no shame in needing to use a foodbank – except the shame we should probably feel as a country that they need to exist at all.
Yet pride can stop some of the UK’s neediest people coming forward to use them, leaving them facing impossible choices and even risking malnutrition. Others feel they aren’t poor enough to accept help, even though they’re struggling.
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Step forward, Number Seven.
Opened just over a year ago in the centre of Birkenhead, Britain’s first “citizens’ supermarket” is an affordable shop that gives dignity back to people who need help paying for food by offering them groceries that are cut price, but not free.
Its customers are people like cancer survivor and former nurse Sarah Docherty, 66, who says she would otherwise be living off powdered mash and frozen fish; a recently widowed pensioner who had never controlled her own finances before; and others so far below the breadline that staff are shocked by their bank statements.
Sarah is buying a large pack of fresh diced chicken breast when HuffPost UK catches up with her at the shop in the centre of Birkenhead, in the Wirral.
It’s run by Feeding Britain, a national charity that aims to eliminate hunger in the UK.
Number Seven is run on an income-based membership scheme. Those shopping here gain a discount of up to two-thirds on their weekly food shopping compared to what they would pay in regular supermarkets.
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Sarah Docherty at Number Seven supermarket Aasma Day
Sarah, who has three children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, told HuffPost UK she is currently receiving employment and support allowance but will soon be moved on to the state pension and anticipates she will be on less money.
A former a psychiatric nurse, she had to leave work due to ill health and two years ago, she had lung cancer and a heart attack. She described Number Seven as a “halfway house” between foodbanks and supermarkets and said buying from the citizens’ supermarket is like “buying luxury brands” for her.
Her shopping – which includes two Hunters Chicken ready meals, a pack of Double Gloucester cheese with chives, chocolate bars, mini tortilla wraps and the fresh chicken breast and various snacks – comes to just £6.10. “That would have cost me £15 to £20 in other shops.” she said.
She admits she would either not have bought this food at all in other supermarkets or bought inferior brands. “Before I came here, I was buying things like bags of cheap frozen fish and having it with powdered mash,” she said.
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“At first, I didn’t come here as pride kept me away as I thought it was for people who were really poor. But without this supermarket, I wouldn’t be eating as luxurious. It makes you feel a little better.
“Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be on bread and butter, but I’d be eating basic frozen food and buying value or economy brands.”
Sarah Docherty at Number Seven supermarket Aasma Day
Asked if she’d ever used a foodbank, Sarah said: “I don’t think my income is that low that I can’t pay for what I have. I would sooner leave that for people who desperately need it.
“As long as I can pay even a small amount, that’s fine by me. I wouldn’t like to go to a foodbank and take food from someone in dire need when I can spend a few pounds and buy food from here. I would feel like I was being greedy. I don’t feel I am in that bad of a situation that I need a foodbank.”
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The supermarket is open to single people earning less than £1,066 a month, and couples and families with an income of less than £1,666 – figures based on the free school meals application criteria.
But Number Seven staff say many of the people who come through their doors are surviving on a lot less.
“We sometimes have to pinch ourselves when people tell us how little they are on,” said Andrew Pilling, general manager at Number Seven. They ask for proof of income – a bank statement, wage slip or Universal Credit journal – but insist they are “not just here for people on benefits, but everyone”.
The stoicism of pensioners who had been struggling on very little before coming to Number Seven has been eye-opening for Pilling and his team.
“It is like the war mentality,” he said. “They think: ‘We got through that – we can get through this,’ and they just ‘make do’.
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“It is wrong. And when you see what some of them are on even with pension credit, they are still not anywhere near the financial criteria and some are miles off.
“Some people don’t want to seek what they deem as charitable help. Foodbanks are a great thing as they help people who need it. But when people go to foodbanks, they don’t have the choice and are given bags of food.
“We are different as people can come in and buy whatever they want and there is fresh food. With the cafe being open to all, there is no stigma or anyone feeling like they are going into a ‘poor supermarket.’”
Number Seven now has 711 members and is signing up about 15 new ones a week.
Members are issued with a membership card that allows them access into the supermarket and a 50% discount in the cafe which is open to everyone. They can visit the supermarket as often as they want and buy whatever they want – the only restriction is fresh meat items, which the supermarket doesn’t get many of, so are limited to one per customer.
Number Seven supermarket in Birkenhead Aasma Day
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An array of food is lined up on shelves with the prices displayed just like any other supermarket. There are trolleys and shopping baskets and even a scanner and card payments including contactless at the till.
The only real difference is the prices: 1kg boxes of cereal for £1, cooking sauce jars for 30p, ready meals from 75p and large packs of mince for £1.20.
Number Seven supermarket in Birkenhead Aasma Day
Andrew Pilling, general manager at Number Seven supermarket in Birkenhead Aasma Day
Pilling said: “The main objective is to make it look and feel like any other supermarket so people can shop with dignity and have choice and selection. Unfortunately, with the way society is, people fear the stigma of being classed as ‘poor’.”
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Snapshot data from December 2019 shows that the average Number Seven member saved £27.54 a week on their food shopping – which equates to £1,432 a year. At this rate, over the coming year Feeding Birkenhead is hoping to put a collective total of £1m back into the pockets of some of the area’s poorest households.
Andrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain, said: “We are helping people who have not yet hit crisis point but might be behind on their rent or bills. They might just be one bill away from a foodbank.
“It used to be that people would only go to a foodbank when they were in crisis. But now it is becoming a regular part of their life, particularly for people in casual work or on zero-hour contracts who just don’t know how much they are going to be earning.
“We are also helping working-age families with children and disabled people whose incomes are simply inadequate after a decade of cuts to benefits and tax credits. Universal Credit is often cited by our members too.
“In years gone by, when people were struggling, there was the welfare state to fall back on. But that has essentially gone and we are having to rebuild our own mutual welfare state to help people through tough times.”
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Andrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain at Number Seven Aasma Day
Number Seven also provides advice and advocacy on benefits, budgeting, debt and looking for work. Some members also volunteer at the cafe to gain work experience.
Pilling said: “I had one 72-year-old woman come in recently who was on her last bit of food. She had been living on pasta that had been in her cupboards for a long time. Her husband had died and he had taken care of everything and given her weekly money. Without him, she didn’t know what to do.
“We made her a cup of coffee, had a long chat and were able to get her the help she needed.”
For many, Number Seven is a haven and the chance to meet some friendly faces to stop them feeling isolated. Allan Robinson, 51, who is unemployed and suffers from depression, angina and other health issues, told HuffPost UK he visits Number Seven two or three times a week. “It has helped me come out of myself and instead of being isolated and stuck in the house, I am meeting people and getting a bunch of friends. The people are so caring and kind and the food in the cafe and supermarket is reasonably priced.
“With the money I get at the moment on benefits, without here, I would really struggle. You can stretch your pennies and make them last longer.”
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But Allan says for him, the most important part of Number Seven is having a reason to get out of the house. “There are a lot of bad things which have happened in my life which play on my mind including my brother taking his own life last year. When I stay in the house, that’s when the anxiety and depression kicks in.”
The food supplies at Number Seven come from surplus stocks that are redistributed at nil or low cost from shops and manufacturers. The project partners with FareShare, His Church and a number of local retailers to provide a range of fresh, chilled and ambient food and has saved many tonnes of food that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Daily collections take place from M&S and Aldi – while Kelloggs, which has its main depot in Manchester, supplies large quantities of breakfast cereal and tubes of Pringles.
Number Seven supermarket in Birkenhead Aasma Day
The store cupboard at Number Seven supermarket in Birkenhead Aasma Day
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Pilling said: “Some of the food is very short-dated so sometimes, we only have a couple of days to move it on. But some food with a ‘best before’ date such as jars, dried pasta and boxes of rice comes with an advice note from the manufacturer allowing extra time. We can show customers the advice note and the price of the food reflects this.
“We give some food away for free. M&S has a policy where they bake their bread fresh every day. Whatever they don’t sell that day, they donate to us and we put it on a table in the supermarket telling customers to take it.”
There is a concerted effort not to waste any food and the cafe, which has daily specials including lasagne and Scouse, makes use of as many ingredients as possible.
But Forsey says with demand increasing due to high levels of poverty, it is a constant battle trying to acquire enough food.
“There are people in such severe poverty that they are in destitution and some are going days without food,” he told HuffPost UK.
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“Nobody will ever leave here hungry but it is a sad indictment of society today that places like this are needed.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--How Jennifer Lopez’s Iconic Grammys Dress Changed The Red Carpet Forever

HuffPost UK
Versace has form when it comes to creating iconic fashion moments.
In 1994, the Italian fashion house helped Liz Hurley go from a relative nobody to a definite somebody after wearing *that* safety pin dress to the premiere of then-boyfriend Hugh Grant’s latest film, Four Weddings And A Funeral.
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Fast-forward six years and lightning struck twice, when Jennifer Lopez made front pages the world over after she wore a certain $15,000 navel-flashing, green chiffon gown to the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000.
Despite the dress having several public outings before J-Lo had it on her back, it wasn’t until the annual music awards bash that the entire world started Googling “J-Lo wearing that dress”, prompting the birth of Google images – and a bona fide fashion icon.
Here’s how it happened...
J-Lo wasn’t the first person to be photographed in the dress…
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Shutterstock
It was actually debuted by supermodel Amber Valetta in 1999 at Versace’s Spring 2000 Ready to Wear runway show in Milan, Italy.
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Amber was also photographed in the same dress for Versace’s 2000 advertising campaign
Versace
Legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel was hired for the shoot.
But it was the dress’ designer who wore it first out in public…
Mitchell Gerber via Getty Images
Sipa/Shutterstock
Donatella wore it at the “Rock Style” Met Gala in 1999. This was the first time Jennifer saw the dress, and decided she had to have it.
Sandra Bullock wore the orange version
TIMOTHY CLARY via Getty Images
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The Speed star opted for the same gown in orange and red hues when she attended the VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards in December 1999.
Even Geri Halliwell wore it on the red carpet before J-Lo...
Geri Halliwell Sipa/Shutterstock
The artist formerly known as Ginger Spice wore it to the NRJ Music Awards in France in January 2000, one month before Jennifer wore it to the Grammys.
Speaking of which...
Kirby Lee via Getty Images
Incredible.
Jennifer also made a splash inside the Grammys...
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The audience’s collective jaws hit the floor when Jennifer took to the stage with X Files star David Duchovny to present the award for Best R&B Album.
“This is the first time in five or six years that I’m sure that nobody is looking at me,” David told the stunned audience.
The $15K frock became an instant sell-out after the Grammys
J. Vespa via Getty Images
Donatella told the Canadian Press in 2008: “It was an unexpected success. The next day Jennifer was all over the place with people talking about her in that dress. It was one of those moments like Gianni had with Elizabeth Hurley and the safety-pin dress.”
The dress was responsible for the launch of Google Images
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Speaking in 2015, Google executive founder Eric Schmidt explained: “Our co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin – like all other successful inventors – kept iterating. After all, people wanted more than just text.
“This first became apparent after the 2000 Grammy Awards, where Jennifer Lopez wore a green dress that, well, caught the world’s attention.
“At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen. But we had no sure-fire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: ‘J-Lo wearing that dress’. Google Image Search was born.”
Duplicates of the dress are on display at the Fashion Museum in Bath and the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles
Charley Gallay via Getty Images
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...but the original is back with its original owner.
“I have that at home,” Jennifer Lopez told Harper’s Bazaar in 2013. “The other day, my housekeeper put it on a mannequin in my spa, where I get my hair and makeup done. She sent me a picture. She was like, ‘You like this dress?’ Um, yeah, but I don’t know if I like it out in the house!”
Yes, J-Lo has mannequins and a spa in her home.
The gown’s legacy has continued to make an impact in the years since Jennifer wore it
Stewart Cook/Shutterstock
South Park co-creator Trey Parker wore a (bad) imitation of the gown to the Oscars, just one month after Jennifer wore it to the Grammys.
Ellen DeGeneres surprised Jennifer by wearing an equally crap version of the Versace gown...
...complete with fake cleavage for a skit filmed backstage at the singer’s All I Have residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in September 2017 .
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Until things came full circle...
Jennifer paid tribute to the dress on the runway of Versace’s Spring 2020 show at Milan Fashion Week and created yet another Fashion Moment.
Still don’t think it’s iconic?
Wikipedia
How many dresses do you know of that have their own Wikipedia page?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--TOWIE Star Ferne McCann Gets Real About Bladder Leaks And Therapy

Getty / HuffPost UK
Ferne McCann exudes confidence. But, like many of us, the former cast-member of The Only Way Is Essex has faced her crises of confidence.
And they didn’t get harder than shortly after the birth of her daughter Sunday, when she started suffering bladder leaks. She’d leak when she sneezed, lifted something heavy or went on a long car journey. “It’s uncomfortable, it’s embarrassing,” the 29-year-old tells HuffPost UK. “But I feel like it’s only embarrassing because not enough people are talking about it.”
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At first, McCann would joke with friends that she’d sneeze and a little bit of wee would come out, but the problem soon worsened to the point where it would prevent her from doing normal, everyday things. It was a tough time. At just 27, she was struggling with something she’d never even heard of. And the experience left her feeling “really rubbish and unsexy”, she admits.
Plucking up the courage to speak to her personal trainer about it, she was advised to see a women’s physiotherapist. And it was then she found out she had a prolapsed bladder, where the front wall supporting the bladder weakens and it starts to descend into the vagina.
It all sounded scary but then the physio told her she needed to start doing pelvic floor exercises and – empowered with the knowledge that things could improve – McCann vowed to make these exercises a key part of her daily routine – as second nature as washing her makeup off.
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Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
A prolapsed bladder can happen as a result of childbirth, but it can also occur naturally over time, particularly around menopause when hormone levels drop. Symptoms include urinary difficulties, discomfort and leaks caused by everyday activities like sneezing, coughing, physical exertion. McCann says she prefers to use the term “bladder leaks” rather than “incontinence” – unsurprisingly, perhaps, considering the level of shame attached to the label.
The NHS estimates 34% of women experience incontinence at any one time, though gynaecologist Dr Brooke Vandermolen told HuffPost UK the figure is likely to be a lot higher as many women are too embarrassed to seek help. A recent survey by Always Discreet suggests two thirds of women in the UK experience bladder leaks, but that 85% know exercising their pelvic floor muscles can help prevent or improve the situation.
Discussing how the leaks impacted her mentally, McCann says: “I wasn’t crying myself to sleep about it, but I wasn’t throwing a party either. I’m quite level-headed and I was like: ‘You know what, I’ve got to get this sorted and I want to go and see someone’.”
“Women’s health needs more of a spotlight.”
There were a fair few months of struggling in silence before she finally opened up to her PT about it. As a new mother, she can understand why so many women don’t seek help for the issue though, or put off doing so.
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“I think with women, especially when you’ve had a child, self-care kind of goes out of the window and you’re like ‘oh it’s fine, my baby’s my priority, I’ll just put up with it.’ But you shouldn’t put up with it,” she says. “Women’s health needs more of a spotlight.”
It’s this belief that led her to speak publicly about her experiences for the first time in September last year. She was “so nervous” to open up and found it really “daunting”, she explains, but the public’s response was “unbelievable”.
Since then, she’s been inundated with messages from women who’ve experienced similar issues. Women who no longer feel so alone.
David M. Benett via Getty Images Ferne McCann with her daughter Sunday.
Finding time for self-care as a new mum (never mind someone in the public eye) can be pretty tough, but McCann has figured out a routine that works for her. She’s also discovered the value of therapy.
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When her ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins (Sunday’s father) was jailed for carrying out an acid attack in a London nightclub, McCann started seeing a therapist.
She’d already suffered from paranoia and anxiety, which joining TOWIE fuelled. “I always thought that people were scheming stuff behind my back,” she told Heat in an interview in 2019. “It is a structured reality TV programme, but you’re always fighting for screen time. It was amazing and it provided so many opportunities, but that was the start of my anxiety.”
She’s now been seeing her therapist for the best part of three years, she tells HuffPost UK – but that’s not something she’s always felt comfortable disclosing.
“It’s definitely something I think is important to openly speak about,” she says. “For ages I really shied away from saying that I had a therapist, because I felt like people were going to think that I had a breakdown or there was something wrong with me, when actually I think it’s so healthy to offload and speak about your life with someone who is completely impartial.”
McCann says one of the biggest lessons she’s learned in therapy is how to react differently to certain different situations. “It’s all about repeated, learned behaviours,” she says. “You might have learned a defence mechanism, or coping mechanism, when you were younger that you are still doing as an adult and it might not be quite right. But oh my god there’s so much work – it’s all about self-work and I think that’s very important.”
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Other ways she stays mentally well include listening to sleep meditation every single night – “I actually can’t get to sleep without them” – and exercising. “I think it’s so healthy for your mind as well as your body,” she says of the latter “It’s almost like therapy, because it’s just an hour’s session where you can literally just focus on what you’re doing – and it really sets you up for the day and puts you in a good headspace.”
Exercise was something McCann struggled to maintain as her bladder issues worsened, so she’s happy to be able to get back on the treadmill again, since getting to grips with her pelvic floor exercises. “There are signs of improvement,” she says, her voice full of relief. “I now go to Barry’s Bootcamp class, I’ve upped my cardio and I can get back on a running machine.”
She wants all women to think of pelvic floor exercises as a part of their daily routine. “I’ve got my skincare routine on lockdown, I do it on autopilot – I do my eye makeup remover, my toner, my cleanser,” she says. “If we can get into the routine of squeezing and doing our pelvic floors, then we’re on to a winner.”
How to do your pelvic floor exercises
Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles around the bladder, vagina or penis, and back passage. Both men and women can do them.
You can feel your pelvic floor muscles if you try to stop the flow of urine when you go to the toilet, says the NHS, although don’t do this regularly as it can harm the bladder.
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To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, sit comfortably and squeeze the muscles 10-15 times in a row. Make sure you don’t hold your breath or tighten your stomach, buttock or thigh muscles at the same time.
When you get used to doing pelvic floor exercises, you can try holding each squeeze for a few seconds.
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can help stop incontinence, treat prolapse and make sex better.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--12 'Little' Relationship Milestones That Are Actually A Big Deal

Malte Mueller via Getty Images The little milestone moments can be just as eventful as the bigger ones.
The big relationship moments — like the first date, meeting the parents, moving in together, getting engaged and getting married — seem to get all the attention. Sometimes the smaller (but still significant!) moments don’t nearly get the credit they deserve.
We asked people to reveal the “little” relationship milestones that were actually a big deal to them. Here’s what they said:
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1. The first time they cry in front of you.
“My husband is a big guy. I nicknamed him ‘Bear’ because he’s so huge. But he’s also so mushy. When I was first leaving London (we were long-distance at the time), he started crying. It was so beautiful to see a man be so vulnerable with me. He cried basically the whole way to the airport and, from what I hear, the rest of the night. He is such a darling. Crying in front of your partner is a true moment of clarity. It shows you the levels this person feels and emotions they’re capable of.” ― Gigi Engle, sexologist and author of “All the F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life”
2. The first time you put up an Instagram pic together.
“This one was actually a massive one for me but probably extremely minuscule and even laughable to others. It was when we posted photos together on Instagram (aka #IGofficial). It was a little bigger of a deal for me since the 215,000 people who follow me didn’t even know I was in a relationship and that we had secretly been traveling together for about four months before I posted about it!” — Alyssa Ramos of “My Life’s a Travel Movie”
3. The first time they take you as a date to a work event.
“My husband, Amit, owns a performing arts company (AATMA Performing Arts) and works with kids as well. It was really special when he actually took me to meet all the kids and their parents. It was as if he was making it official that I’m his life partner. Especially being South Asian and identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, that is a big and courageous move, which proved that we were really in this forever.” ― Aditya Madiraju, blogger
4. The first time you go on a trip together.
“The third date for my now-wife and me was a cruise, which felt like a real make-or-break situation for a new couple. Packing. Flying. Keeping track of passports and documents. Living in a small space together for a week. A bathroom with very little privacy. It went great, which boded really well for our future together. Four years and many cruises, resorts, flights, drives and hotels later, we are a great pair at home and on the road.” — Jenny Block, author of “Be That Unicorn: Find Your Magic. Live Your Truth. Share Your Shine”
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5. The first time they refer to you as ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy’ to their pet.
“My wife had a dog when we met. It had been a long time since I had a dog, and I forgot how much I missed having one. I instantly bonded with him and grew so attached to him. So the first time she referred to me as ‘Daddy’ to him instead of ‘Dan’ was huge to me. Up until that point, I wasn’t sure if I won her over yet, but after that day I was 100% sure.” — Dan Regan, comedian
6. The first time you reveal your kinks in the bedroom.
“While for some people it might be silly or weird, it felt really good to tell my partner that I’m submissive. Trying choking and bondage with him was incredibly healing and bonding for us. It’s helped our relationship grow in so many beautiful, sexy ways. He’s super wonderful and adventurous. Being able to explore your sexuality to its fullest in a relationship is pretty dang magical.” —Engle
7. The first time they proudly display your artwork.
“Once we moved in together, my wife hung up my illustrations around our apartment. She didn’t ask to, she just did it. It was such a big deal to me, more than she realises.
I grew up poor, on and off food stamps and in small, cramped one-bedroom apartments shared with four family members and millions of cockroaches. When I lived with my abusive ex, that space didn’t really feel mine because of how tumultuous the relationship had been; everything felt more like a shared space and less like a home. I never truly had a space of my own.
When I came home one day and saw that she hung up my artwork, it was the first time I ever felt like I fit in anywhere and was truly loved. Something as simple as hanging up a picture told me, ‘You belong here.’” ― Tevy Khou, illustrator
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8. The first time you meet each other’s friends.
“Sometimes that little act of meeting each other’s friends is more stressful than meeting each other’s family (especially so in many gay or LGBTQ relationships, where your friends may be your chosen family). That first brunch, that first time out with their group of friends to the karaoke bar — you want to make a good impression, seem relatable, friendly, act engaged, and, of course, you’ve got to make a good impression. Because it’s the friends who just might end up having the biggest impact on what happens in the relationship.” ― Adam Groffman of “Travels of Adam”
9. The first time you collaborate on a project.
“The ‘little’ milestone that comes to mind is when my (now) spouse and I collaborated on our first art project. I can’t remember what it was because we have made a ridiculous amount of art together in the seven years we’ve been a couple, but it was probably a GIF of our cat.
This milestone quickly led us to start an art and animation company together. We call the company YoMeryl as a reference to our first date and the discussion we had that night about how amazing Meryl Streep is and that she could literally be anywhere so it’s best to not shout her name too loudly.” ― Bronwyn Lundberg, artist at YoMeryl
10. The first time they open up to you emotionally.
“When my partner shared deeper parts of himself, it mattered to me because it meant he was opening up and learning to trust me. As a writer, I’m pretty open about a lot of things, and I’ve learned (and am still learning) that everyone is not able to access their feelings so easily, so I always appreciate the unraveling of layers in relationships.” — Renée Cherez, writer
11. The first time they say ‘I love you’ to your dog.
“One milestone was when I caught him saying ‘I love you’ to my little Pomeranian, Oscar, for the first time. The two of them tend to have a like/hate relationship because they both battle for my attention and affection, which my dog always wins, so hearing him say he loves Oscar was a huge milestone for us.” ― Ramos
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12. The first time they see you perform on stage.
“Before I met my wife, some women I dated would say, ‘I thought you would be funnier’ (because I’m a comedian). I didn’t think I was supposed to perform while I’m eating jalapeño sliders at Applebees, but OK.
So when I met my wife, I was happy she never questioned my lack of stage performance when we were on a date. When she finally saw me on a stage, I thought this will either enhance our relationship or could be the beginning of the end. Luckily, she liked my set and is now my biggest fan and harshest critic, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. ― Regan


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-23--16 Powerful Songs About Mental Health To Make You Feel Less Alone

"Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has said she felt very "emotionally attached" to her powerful ballad "Skyscraper," which speaks to the experience of facing difficult times and getting through it. The singer, who is also a mental health advocate, released the song after spending time in a treatment facility for "emotional and physical issues," including an eating disorder.In a 2011 interview , she described the experience of recording "Skyscraper" before and after her treatment: "I was emotionally attached to the song and I really related to it, like a lot of other people. ... for me when I first recorded it, it was kind of a cry for help. It was before I went to treatment, before everything had kind of hit the fan. I went to treatment and I came out, then I tried to rerecord 'Skyscraper' because my voice had changed and it just wasn’t the same. There was something in that first try, that first run through of the song that was kind of magical. It was so much emotion in it, and to this day, it’s still really special to me. I’ve never been so vulnerable or emotional while recording a song, to the point where I was almost doubled over in tears in the studio. I was crying when I recorded it, I was bawling my eyes out. I don’t know, it just felt really great to open up like that."


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-22--Disney's First LGBTQ Character In An Animated Film To Feature In Onward

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The first openly LGBTQ character to ever appear in an animated Disney film will be featured in the new film Onward, it has been confirmed.
Lena Waithe – whose past credits include Master Of None and Dear White People – will lend her voice to Office Specter, a lesbian policewoman in Onward, Disney’s latest collaboration with Pixar.
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On Friday, the news was first reported in Slate and The Advocate, with Lena sharing a screengrab of the headline on her Instagram, alongside a rainbow emoji.
According to Slate, Officer Specter’s sexuality is confirmed when she refers to how her “girlfriend’s daughter” has her “pulling her hair out”, in response to a character whose own girlfriend’s child is causing him stress.
Director Dan Scanlon told Yahoo of the inclusion of a character from the LGBTQ community: “It’s a modern fantasy world and we want to represent the modern world.”
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Lena Waithe Taylor Hill via Getty Images
In the past, Disney has been criticised for teasing LGBTQ moments but not committing to them fully, most notably in the live-action remake of Beauty And The Beast.
Similarly, much was made of a same-sex kiss in the most recent Star Wars film, which amounted to a split-second display between two women in the background of a scene, which was even cut from some international versions of the film.
Reports have also suggested that comedian Jack Whitehall would be playing Disney’s first ever openly gay main character in the new film Jungle Cruise, though some were upset that the part went to a character who identifies as straight.
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Meanwhile, many fans have praised scenes in other Pixar films, including Toy Story 4 and Finding Dory, which appear to have included same-sex couples.