“I have to ask,” a pen springs to a close between his fingers. “Have you taken cocaine?”

His office is too big.

There’s a partly dismantled examining table next to me, legs splayed, trying its best to prove it can still stand when all it really wants is someone to shout ‘Food?’ and to call it a night. Odd watercolours of Manhattan hang between strips of peeling wallpaper, the buildings soft and pathetic. I look at his face, then rest my eyes somewhere on his legs. I start to trace the faint dog-tooth pattern back and forth. It makes me sleepy.

His pen clicks again.

“Cocaine?”

I look up. “No.”

He makes a line on his paper, then presses the nib on the next question. The ink bleeds into a little spot, disfiguring the first few letters of whatever word used to be there. “Ever snorted anything; long-time smoker–”

“No.” My teeth grapple my tongue. “I’ve never smoked, never taken drugs.”

He marks another line. “Have you bumped your head; been hit in the face?”

I release my tongue again. “No.”

“I’m sorry, Lucy.” He makes two more lines then puts the paper down. “I know this must be uncomfortable, but I have to ask these things.” He straightens his legs, the dog-tooth wiggling. I trace the pattern again, quickly this time, as if my eyes were ghosts running to catch Pac Man.

A silence swells between us. I keep my eyes moving.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what to say.”

I breathe in. Thick air fills my lungs.

“I’ve never seen this in someone so young. I can refer you to a specialist–” he turns and presses some buttons on his keyboard. The sound is clumsy. “OK–” he turns back to me. “It’s a 250-day wait.”

My eyes stop chasing and I burst into tears.

―-

I had no idea what anosmia was. As I write, Microsoft’s dictionary doesn’t recognise it, asking if I want to change to ‘Damiano’ (which Google ironically tells me is the first name of an Italian chef).

One of the first things I did was search ‘anosmia’ on Instagram. I was surprised - under one-hundred iterations showed up, the grid full of faces and cups of coffee. I clicked on one. I clicked on another, then another. As I read the captions, I realised I hadn’t found one-hundred pieces of hope; I had inadvertently found people complaining about lack of sleep, due to their ‘anosmia’.

I threw my phone on the floor and cried – something of a recurring theme since diagnosis.

Anosmia is the loss of the sense of smell, either total or partial. [Fifth Sense, 2015] It’s symptomatic of a head trauma, commonly surfacing as a result of a car crash, although it can be a confusing by-product of a very ordinary cold gone bad. It’s not a clear-cut disability – most GPs and specialists struggle to pin-down causes or ways in which to recover lost senses. I was told I had two years (then, “it’s probably not coming back,” as a specialist politely told me). If you do recover, you’re unlikely to get your full reach, and warped functions return – phantosmia – detecting phantom odours that aren’t there; dysosmia –where smells return but are distorted; or parosmia – where most, if not all, odours appear burnt, rotten, or fecal.

I have lost all ability to smell – and with it, my ability to taste has vanished too. But I feel it’s taken more than that. I’m distanced from conversations and social situations; I’m jealous of anyone who still has their senses; I avoid seeing friends where I know food or drink will be involved.

I remember one year my parents bought an artificial Christmas tree. I complained “it wasn’t Christmas because there is no Christmas tree smell,” and desperately wanted a pine-scented spray. I used to tell my mum off for wearing an amber perfume because it “was too strong, and smelt horrible.” I knew straight away if they’d been painting the house as soon as I walked in the front door, despairing at what else had turned white in my absence. Now it’s all gone. I cry when I think of Christmas, because it’s always going to be scentless. I miss the smell of coffee, the smell of my perfume, knowing if I smelt clean or if the gas was turned off.

Awareness needs to be raised. I don’t know what the answer is, but if my senses aren’t coming back, I want to use my experience to further research. If nothing else, use this as a reminder to cherish everything you have whilst you have it, because one day, something that once was second-nature to you might be taken, and there’s nothing you can do to get it back.

Music retailer HMV has entered administration for the second year time in six years, according to reports. 

The group, which trades from 130 stores and employs 2,200 staff, has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators amid a cash crisis at the firm.

It’s called in company KMPG as administrators, the BBC states. 

HMV first filed for administration in 2013 and on that occasion, it was acquired for £50m by its current owner, Hilco.

High business rates, weak consumer confidence and the rise of online streaming services will have taken their toll on the retailer amid a challenging year for the sector.

Poundworld, Toys’R’Us and Maplin have all gone bust this year, while heavyweights Marks & Spencer and Debenhams have announced plans to shutter hundreds of stores.

Several others - including Superdry, Carpetright and Card Factory - have all issued profit warnings.

High street retailers have been slashing prices after brutal trading in November and early December failed to lure shoppers to stores.

Traditional retailers have been battling the rise of online shopping, higher costs and low consumer confidence as shoppers rein in spending amid Brexit uncertainty.

Hilco has been approached for comment.

Cheryl Tweedy’s ‘Greatest Dancer’ co-star Matthew Morrison has jumped to her defence over the barrage of criticism she has faced in the media in recent months.

The former Girls Aloud singer has been on the receiving end of a number of negative headlines since releasing her comeback single ‘Love Made Me Do It’ earlier this year. 

These have ranged from criticising her performance of the song on ‘The X Factor’ and its resulting chart position, mentioning her previous conviction for attacking a toilet attendant, to various claims of diva behaviour, which she has denied. 

Now speaking out about the media attacks, Matthew has said he had no idea how Cheryl copes with such negative press. 

Speaking to The Mirror, the ‘Glee’ actor said: “I don’t get why she gets so much backlash. It’s awful. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes and having all that crap people talk.”

Revealing how Cheryl handles it all, he continued: “This stuff rolls off her back. She doesn’t pay any attention to it, which I think is the right move.

“If I get the same reaction, I’m taking the Cheryl approach.”

One recent report claimed Cheryl had clashed with her and Matthew’s co-star Oti Mabuse during filming for ‘The Greatest Dancer’.

However, a rep for the singer insisted there was no such feud, saying she ”absolutely loves working with Oti and has a brilliant relationship with her”.

Oti herself later posted a lengthy statement on Instagram to clarify the reports. 

She wrote: “Imagine a world where two women work together with love, support and nothing but sisterhood... THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO TENSION between @cherylofficial and myself.

“This beautiful woman has been nothing but caring, accepting and guiding towards me, she’s funny, smart and honest. 

″@cherylofficial sis you’re an absolute QUEEN I love you dearly and cannot wait to work with you. If anything I feel privileged and honoured to even be picked to share the same panel as you.”

Cheryl previously spoke out about the “relentless abuse” she’d been the subject of in the media.

She wrote: “I let a lot of things lie but the sheer level of unbalanced negativity towards me in the tabloid press these past few days has been frankly shocking and I need to address it. This level of relentless abuse should not be tolerated in any walk of life.”

‘The Greatest Dancer’ launches on Saturday 5 January on BBC One. 

For the last three years, I’ve made a list of ten political predictions. As with all things, it’s hit and miss on whether or not I am correct, especially in the current climate of unpredictable politics. The first two years I had about a 40% success rate, though in 2017 I did nail a few good predictions.

Where I was right: Brexit hasn’t gone smoothly (well duh), Mrs May has remained Conservative party leader and she has changed up her cabinet a bit. Boris resigned and wasn’t sacked as I predicted, but frankly being rid of him counts as a win to me. The Lib Dems remain lost, the NI Assembly remains out of action, Merkel managed to pull together a government and Putin is still president. I probably played a bit safe on these predictions to be honest.

Where I was wrong: Trump is still president. Like, WTF? What else does he need to do? We still haven’t got to the bottom of the Russian interference, though the Mueller investigation continues and has sunk some big fish. Corbyn still hasn’t switched his stance to remain, and frankly after his recent statement on his Brexit position, it’s clear he isn’t going to. He’s a Brexiteer through and through. So let’s get into 2019.

1. We’ll reach the Brexit endgame – With a myriad of different options, it’s really hard to predict where this one will go. We won’t leave without a deal or even the managed deal options; the first is too damaging and the second isn’t an option. That leaves only two likely choices, either Mrs May’s Brexit deal agreed with the EU or a second ref. I’m calling second ref.

2. Trump will be impeached – I mean come on! But it won’t be about Russians, it’ll be either the closure of the Trump Foundation and the dodgy use of its funds to help his election campaign, or it’ll be from getting his lawyer Michael Cohen to pay off porn stars who claimed Trump had sex with them.

3. Both Labour and Conservatives will experience major splits – There’s simply no way the various factions in these parties can hold together once the final option on Brexit goes forward. If it’s no deal, the remainers will split away. If it’s 2nd ref, the Brexiteers will split away. Both May and Corbyn will lose support regardless of the results. Perhaps this will be the year we see a new party form.

4. The Lib Dems will continue to be a non-entity, and with Brexit decided UKIP will fade to obscurity – With the exit of Farage and many of its MEPs, UKIP will go the way of the BNP. An amazing end for a political force which only four years ago polled nearly 4 million votes and led in the EU parliamentary elections. The Lib Dems are still rudderless and Grandpa Vince just isn’t able to pull the Lib Dems anywhere worth going.

5. The NI assembly will remain unresolved, but the character of NI politics will change – NI is an interesting place politically compared to the rest of the UK. One friend of mine from NI described NI politicians as being either religious zealots or terrorists. They’re of an old age and an old generation. The DUP’s Brexit agenda grates with NI’s youthful, progressive and very pro-EU population. Brexit will likely be the catalyst for political change in NI.

6. Call for another Scottish independence ref (and an NI one) will be made, and should the UK leave the EU, Scotland will leave the UK – this might feel a bit doomsday, but like Northern Ireland Brexit will be the catalyst for the break up of the UK. There desires and spirit of the nations are just too different and outside the EU, Scotland and even NI will be very unhappy with the concept of the UK. Whether Scotland or NI goes first is up for debate, but I expect we’ll lose one from the UK.

7. No other EU nation will choose to leave – What has been amazing to watch is how the remaining 27 nations of the EU have stuck to the same story. Even the Europhobe nations are more pro-EU than ever.

8. Trade wars between China and the USA will escalate – As long as Trump is in charge, trade relations will remain frosty and Trump will impost many populist measures to drive his own popularity. It’ll fail though, as US industry feels the bite from the embargos and trade tariffs.

9. Russia and Iran will fill the vacuum left by the USA in the Middle East – With the departure of the USA from Syria, and further reductions expected in Iraq and Afghanistan, old rivals will begin to take advantage of growing their sphere of influence. Syria is mostly in Russian hands now anyway, but now they have no challenge. It is an extraordinarily sad result and could end in great loss of life of many people opposed to Assad and other extremists.

10. The EU will be stable, but will still face massive challenges – The gilet jaunes in France, economic strains in Greece, political instability in Italy and racial stresses in Germany will hang over the entire EU, along with many other challenges. The ongoing refugee crisis, a weakened UK following Brexit (regardless of leave or remain) means that it’s not all rosey for the other 27 states of the EU. Expect further economic difficulties for the Euro nations. 2019 will be a tough year.

Benedict Cumberbatch was focused on playing Vote Leave mastermind Dominic Cummings with “sympathy and understanding”, the writer of a new Brexit-based drama has said.

The 42-year-old plays Cummings, a key “behind the scenes” player, in the new show about the successful, data-driven Vote Leave campaign, ‘Brexit: The Uncivil War’.

Hinting at what Cumberbatch’s version of Cummings will be like, writer James Graham has revealed the ‘Sherlock’ star was focused on finding “the humanity” in the role.

“He met Dominic, I think they got on really well,” he said. “Benedict’s absolute obsession all the way through was to make sure that it wasn’t too one-sided.

“That the film wasn’t blaming him.”

The political thriller will air on Channel 4 in January and is set in the run-up to the EU referendum.

It explores the “myriad tactics employed to swing one of the most surprising referendum results in living memory”.

The drama was announced amid controversy over the political impact of data-mining, with investigations examining possible links between Vote Leave’s campaign and data companies.

Before the referendum, Cumberbatch was vocal in his opposition to Brexit.

He was one of almost 300 actors, musicians, writers and artists who signed an open letter urging voters to keep the UK part of the EU.

Explaining why he decided to pen the show, Graham said he had a “responsibility” to write about Cummings.

“A mainstream audience, a popular audience, would not have heard of Dominic Cummings,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have heard of Dominic Cummings throughout the entirety of the campaign and I consider myself reasonably engaged and in-tune.

“I think the responsibility, if you’re going to interrogate what decisions were made and who was responsible for those decisions [is] to put the strategist behind the scenes in the spotlight.”

In July, the Electoral Commission fined Vote Leave £61,000 for breaking campaign spending rules.

The elections watchdog found more than £675,000 spent with data firm Aggregate IQ via another campaign group should have been declared by Vote Leave. It meant Vote Leave exceeded its legal spending limit of £7 million by almost £500,000.

A 24-year-old who broke her neck while travelling in Thailand is finally home with her family in the UK thanks to kind donations from strangers.

Sophie Wilson, 24, from Leicestershire, broke her neck after diving into a swimming pool in Thailand and required a specialist medical flight in order to arrive home safely.  

Her family set up an online donation page to get her home after her insurer refused to stump up the cash. They said the flight, plus her medical bills, were likely to cost around £60,000.

Thankfully, almost 2,000 people donated, raising funds of more than £67,000, meaning Wilson was able to arrive home on Boxing Day.

It is unclear whether Wilson will be able to walk again and medics said she was lucky to be alive after the accident, which happened on 1 December. 

She was initially treated at a hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with a 10-hour operation. She’s currently receiving treatment at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Her sister Georgina Wilson told the BBC: “She’s feeling so much more positive and happy about being back in the UK and there are no issues with the language barrier.

“She’s still making good progress every day, so she’s getting more and more strength in her arms and hands but there’s still no movement from the chest down at the moment.”

The money donated paid for Wilson’s specialist flight home and has enabled her family to cover her medical fees.

On the donation page she wrote: “If it wasn’t for all of you who liked, shared and donated this wouldn’t be happening, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really am truly amazed by everything that everyone has done for me.”

Wilson had purchased travel insurance through the company Insure and Go, but the company said it does not cover injuries where a person has “put themselves at risk”. 

A spokesperson said in a statement: “We do understand that people go on holiday to have fun and enjoy themselves, but we are not able to cover circumstances where the customer has acted in a way that puts themselves at risk. This is clearly stated in the policy terms and conditions.”

The BBC has announced their ‘Film’ show is to end after 47 years. 

The corporation is looking to replace the long-running review series as it changes its approach to arts coverage. 

A BBC spokesperson told the Radio Times: “We are constantly looking at how we present the arts to ensure we are serving all audiences in the best way possible.

“In 2019 we will be creating an enhanced offer for lovers of film both on television and online which will be a more consistent approach across the year and will replace the Film Show.

“We’re still working through the details and will have more news about what this will look like soon.”

‘Film’ began in 1971 with Barry Norman as host - a role he held for 26 years. 

He was succeeded by Jonathan Ross who sat in the hot seat for 11 years, while Claudia Winkleman was the last permanent host, presenting from 2010 to 2016. 

Since Claudia quit the show to focus on her ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ role, it has been hosted by a rotating panel of guest presenters, including Zoe Ball, Clara Amfo, Charlie Brooker and Edith Bowman. 

Details of a new film show is expected to be announced in due course.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated ‘Film’ had run for 37 years. It has, in fact, run for 47. 

An ambulance has burst into flames at a hospital in Newry, Northern Ireland.

Footage posted to Twitter by local councillor for Banbridge Glenn Barr shows a vehicle engulfed in flames with grey smoke pouring from it on an open road.

“Traffic disruption at Daisy Hill Hospital. No one injured thankfully,” Barr tweeted.

The incident happened on Friday morning.

Witnesses reported hearing a “loud bang” and seeing smoke from a distance.

“Apparently an ambulance has blown up in the car park of the hospital!” wrote Gareth Murtagh.

It is not yet known what caused the incident.

Police were called this morning to reports of shots fired outside a north London station, in which a bus was caught in cross fire and a bus driver was injured. 

Local officers and armed police arrived on the scene at 00:24 on Friday outside Turnpike Lane Station.

A red double-decker bus, the 221 headed to Edgeware, was left damaged.

Evidence of firearms discharge was found at the scene.

A Met spokesperson told HuffPost UK that enquiries are ongoing.

He said: “A bus driver, aged in his fifties, was found to have suffered minor injuries to his forehead from glass shattering and was taken to hospital for treatment.”

London Ambulance Service was also in attendance and there are no reports of any other persons injured. 

So far, no arrests have been made and officers remain on scene. 

Three men have been found guilty of murder after setting fire to 26 litres of petrol in the basement of a shop in Leicester. 

Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan killed five people with the blaze and were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, as they had hoped to benefit from a £330,000 insurance payout.

On 25 February, the fire tore through a Polish supermarket and two-storey flat on Hinckley Road.

Mary Ragoobeer, 46; her two sons Shane, 18, and 17-year-old Sean and Shane’s 18-year-old girlfriend Leah Beth Reek were killed in the blast, along with Viktorija Ljevleva, 22. Several others were injured.

The investigation into the men led police to trawl through over 700 hours of CCTV footage, and examined more than 2,500 exhibits, 1,000 witness statements and 4,000 different lines of inquiry.

Leicestershire Police said shopkeeper Kurd, who gave an account to the media after the blast, “probably felt there was a need” to tell his story in a deceitful bid to cover his tracks.

Speaking of the explosion itself, Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen, who led the investigation, said: “The evidence we have identified is that this was a significant amount of petrol - significant such that it caused that level of devastation and five people lost their lives.”

Describing the CCTV evidence, Keen continued: “We know there were acts of planning - we don’t know whether they knew about the cameras.

“Certainly some cameras were moved in an attempt to avoid detection but we will never truly know what was in their mind as they haven’t told us.”

Keen added that the motive behind the killings “seem[ed] to be purely financial greed and personal gain”. 

“The intention was to claim against an over-inflated insurance policy for business interruption and contents,” she said. 

“There was significant investment into the shop’s set-up and it is evident that it wasn’t as profitable as expected. This led to the subsequent fire and explosion.”

Disturbing police bodycam footage shown to the court showed a casualty, Thomas Lindop, under the rubble with a severe head injury.

He had been walking by the shop at the time of the blast and suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractures to his skull, head, pelvis and spine, leaving him in hospital for around three months.

During the trial, families of those who died were in tears as they heard cries for help on some of the footage shown to the court, including teenager Scotty Ragoobeer, who survived the explosion in what the prosecution described as a “miracle”.

A man has been arrested at Luton Airport on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences.

The 32-year-old was detained by Metropolitan Police counter-terror officers on Thursday evening after arriving at the Bedfordshire airport on an inbound flight.

The force said he was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

He was taken to a police station in the Bedfordshire area, where he remains in custody.

“The arrest is Syria-related and not related to any offences at the airport,” a spokesman said.

Brexit dominated the headlines in 2018, there’s no question about it. From parliamentary wrangling to showy political bust-ups, there seemed to be little room for anything else.

But of course, life goes on beyond Westminster, and the real story of the year played out in local communities as many people faced Universal Credit rollouts, a rise in street violence and hate crimes, and continuing austerity.

Here, HuffPost UK looks at some of the local news stories from the year which paint a fuller story of 2018, including tales of courage, hardship and communities rallying together.

January

Shepherds Bush, west London

The fatal stabbing of model Harry Uzoka in Shepherds Bush, west London, dominated headlines in January, and was a grim precursor to a series of stories on knife crime attacks throughout the year.

London has since seen the highest number of killings in a decade, with more than 130 deaths – the highest since 2008. The murder rate surpassed that of New York City by April for the first time in modern history.

Later in the year, George Koh was jailed for 25 years for Uzoka’s murder.

Scotland

In Scotland, the effects of cuts to local authorities saw teachers ask for a 10% pay hike in a bid to recoup wages, which have decreased over a decade.

Nicola Fisher, head of Scotland’s biggest teaching union, said at the time: “Austerity and ideologically driven attacks on the public sector from Westminster governments, coupled with financial decisions made here in Scotland, have caused our pay to decline dramatically.”

Their demands, dubbed “unaffordable” by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, were rejected in November as she called on unions to be prepared to accept a “realistic” pay deal.

February

Norwich

Mental health awareness continued to help bring to account to gaps in patient care.

A damning assessment by inspectors found patients at Huntercombe Hospital in Buxton, Norwich – a hospital for mentally ill children – could access dangerous items which they could harm themselves with, with one young person suffering a non-fatal overdose, the North Norfolk News reported.

The Care Quality Commission shut the hospital down.

An assessment also found staff at the hospital was not preventing patients from self-harming, and the closure came two years after the facility was placed in special measures.

In October, Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed the government would provide a £2billion boost to mental healthcare provision per year, and find mental health support in every A&E department in the country.

March

West Midlands

The impact of the switch to controversial Universal Credit was laid bare in a multitude of stories from across the nation this year, not least among families who faced declining living standards as a result of delayed payouts. 

Some 130,000 children in the Midlands were due to miss out on free school meals, which the Department for Education later denied.

It came two months after local council bosses “quietly dropped” plans to provide free school meals to every primary school child in the city, according to the Birmingham Post.

Scotland

“I’m only guaranteed to eat two days a week at the moment, I don’t buy clothes, I just live in the clothes that I’ve got.”

These were the words of Alexander Cadona, who told BBC Scotland of his struggles living in poverty.

Around six months before Theresa May declared that “austerity is over” during her Tory party conference speech, one million families in Scotland were classed as living in relative poverty after rent or mortgage costs had been paid.

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly, said: “Low pay, rising living costs and unstable work mean that, for many, choices between whether to heat their home or pay their rent have become commonplace.”

April

Liverpool

John Hay, manager of Orchard Food Bank in Liverpool, told the Financial Times that nurses, care and healthcare workers were among users of the service as demand increased following a local Universal Credit rollout.

“The need to use the food bank, well, that doesn’t seem to discriminate,” he told the paper. 

It came in the same month that the government announced a mere 1% pay rise for health workers including doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives to cleaners and porters.

But unions denounced the move as “derisory” amid rising living costs.

May

Windsor

Windsor hit the headlines in May as Harry and Meghan’s wedding drew the eyes of the world.

But amidst royal wedding mania, which brought tens of thousands of well wishers to the town’s streets, one local man called for the royal couple to visit the Windsor Homeless Project.

It came after one council leader called on police to clear homeless people from the streets in the lead up to the May 19 nuptials.

It followed reports by the Windsor Observer that homelessness in the town increased “dramatically”. Meanwhile, rough sleeping figures were estimated by homelessness charity Shelter to be at 320,000 in November.

June

Lincoln

In the year that religious hate crime in England and Wales saw a 40% rise, police in West Yorkshire charged David Parnham, 35, for distributing “Punish a Muslim” letters, which encouraged people to carry out a number of offences against them.

The story demonstrated one out of thousands of religious hate crimes, in a year that saw more than 8,300 such incidents, with 52% of religious hate crimes directed at people perceived to be Muslim.

Oxford

In the wake of the #MeToo movement which brought to light cases of sexual harassment and abuse in corridors of power and beyond, The Telegraph revealed an unpublished report by Helena Kennedy QC, urging an investigation into sexual violence against students by staff.

The report, commissioned by the elite university, warned of “tribal loyalties” which created a barrier to reporting.

July

Edinburgh

Edinburgh saw another hate crime incident in July, when 18-year-old Sean Gorman admitted the racially-aggravated attempted murder of Syrian refugee Shabaz Ali.

Ali had settled in Edinburgh with his family after fleeing Kobane in northern Syria five years ago.

His solicitor Aamer Anwar said attacks on Syrian refugee communities were going unreported because people “are too frightened to complain”.

Gorman was sentenced to eight years in August, and the incident was followed in November by an attack on a 15-year-old Syrian boy in Huddersfield.

August

Longsight, Manchester

Stories of knife crime and fatal stabbings mostly emerged from the capital, but it is an issue which has plagued other areas of the country, not least Manchester.

The Longsight area of the city in August reported escalating violence and mass brawls, with 15 men involved in a bust up one night, amid daily brawls in the suburb, residents told the Manchester Evening News.

The incident left three men stabbed near a local takeaway, officers said.

Edmonton, north London

Revelations that members of the Windrush generation were being wrongly deported sent shockwaves through Westminster, leading to the resignation of former Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

Among the stories was that of Anthony Bryan from Edmonton, north London, who was wrongly arrested and threatened with deportation to Jamaica, which he had not visited since he was eight years old.

The 60-year-old was detained twice after being unable to prove his immigration status, with a parliamentary committee labelling his detention “traumatising” and “debilitating”.

He subsequently sought compensation.

September

Merseyside

A homeless hostel in Birkenhead told the Liverpool Echo that 40 at any one time were waiting for a place in the hostel, as rough sleeping in England rose for the seventh year in a row.

Wirral Ark hostel said homelessness in the town was a “significant issue”.

October

Co. Down, Northern Ireland

In another hate crime incident, police in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, launched an investigation into reports that people were dressed as members of the Klu Klux Klan outside an Islamic prayer house.

Local DUP MP Jim Shannon labelled the act a “disgrace”.

November

Hastings & Rye

As the Universal Credit rollout continued to expand to more areas of the UK, so did stories about challenged households continue to emerge. This time, residents in Amber Rudd’s constituency of Hastings and Rye saw demand for food banks soar by 80%.

The services have become a “vital part” of the charity scene in the area, the Bexhill Observer reported.

Merseyside

Woodchurch High School banned students from wearing designer puffer coats from brands such as Canada Goose and Moncler in a bid to stop poverty shaming.

Ilford

The shocking murder of pregnant woman Sana Muhammad by ex-partner Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo rocked the east London community who rallied round to support her husband and children.

She was killed by crossbow in her home and her baby, due the following month, was later delivered alive by doctors.

Latest figures from the femicide census show 139 women were killed by men last year, and more than three in four knew their killer.

December

Westminster

Less than a week before Christmas, homeless man Gyula Remes, 43, died on the steps of Westminster in the second case of its kind this year. 

His death followed widespread reports, including figures analysed by HuffPost UK, showing that homelessness figures are grossly underestimated by local councils who count rough sleepers on one night a year during the autumn.

Nearly 600 people sleeping rough died last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Parents may soon find themselves scrabbling around at the bottom of the kitchen drawer as the government warns using clingfilm could be banned. 

Ministers are set to announce plans to make all schools plastic-free within three years, The Telegraph reported. 

It means that rather than wrapping up a cheese sandwich for a school trip, parents and carers will have to think outside the plastic-lined lunch box. 

[Read More: I Gave Up Plastic For A Year, And You Can, Too]

The move comes as environment secretary Michael Gove announced charges for bags would be doubled from 5p to 10p at all shops across England from 2020, as part of the government’s bid to crackdown on plastic. 

So, what are the alternatives to plastic wrapping? Here are seven you could try:

Storage Containers

Tupperware comes in all shapes and sizes – so you’re bound to find one that fits. And if you want to be really conscientious after your weekend takeaway, then wash and keep the plastic boxes that once contained your egg-fried rice. They’re the perfect size for a lunch-time salad, fruit or wraps. 

Foil

While it’s not an entirely zero-waste option, you can wash aluminium foil and reuse it (before recycling it).  

Greaseproof Or Baking Paper

Handy to wrap sandwiches up in – and you tie them up with string for that authentic finish. 

Paper Bags

There is split opinion on the ecological rating of plastic versus paper bags – it does cause pollution to re-pulp and recycle them. But when Morrisons announced it was bringing traditional brown paper bags back in June, it estimated it would use 150 million fewer plastic bags a year. 

Bento Boxes

Japanese families take lunch to school or the workplace in a series of neat, tightly-packed, durable and reusable boxes that stack together. Fill them with rice, beans, raw fish... or if that wouldn’t go down well, a sandwich. 

Tiffin Tins

Durable stainless steel boxes commonly used by families in India to store rice, snacks – or whatever you want. They can even be stacked and clipped together, and come in two, three or four tiers (depending on how hungry you are). 

Wax Wraps

There are numerous soy, beeswax and candelilla wax cloth wraps on the market - or if you’re feeling really crafty, how about having a go at making your own?

Royal Mail has withdrawn a D-Day stamp design, after experts pointed out the photograph it featured actually showed US troops landing in waters over 8,000 miles away from France. 

The design was revealed as part of the Best Of British collection on Thursday and shows soldiers alighting from a boat, with the caption: “D-Day Allied soldiers and medics wade ashore.”

However, people soon started to point out that the image was taken in what was then Dutch New Guinea. 

The BBC subsequently found that the picture appears on the American National WWII Museum website, where it is attributed to the US Coast Guard and dated 17 May 1944 — almost a month before D-Day. 

On Friday morning, Royal Mail addressed the blunder by tweeting an apology and stating the design will not go into print. 

“We sincerely apologise that our 2019 Special Stamp preview included a design which had been incorrectly associated with the D-Day landings,” they said. “This stamp design has not been printed.

“We would like to reassure our customers that this image will not be part of the final set.”

The design was due to be part of a collection of 11 stamps, to be created to mark the 75th anniversary of when British, US and Canadian forces arrived on the coast of France. 

Other special stamp collections announced for release in 2019 include a Birds of Prey set, with birds breed in the UK. 

Meanwhile, The British Engineering stamp issue will celebrate 50 years of engineering achievements in the UK.  

Charlie Brooker has done it again. 

In the perfect antidote this strange the Crimbo-limbo we’re currently in, he’s dropped the latest instalment of ‘Black Mirror’, and it’s proving to be the biggest talking point yet. 

In a hugely innovative move, ‘Bandersnatch’ - which appeared on Netflix on Friday - sees fans being able to choose what happens next at various points during the stand-alone episode. 

But armed with all that choice, are people stressed with the responsibility, or loving being in control? Well, here’s what the critics are saying...

Guardian

“Bandersnatch is a masterpiece of sophistication. From a user viewpoint, it is seamless. When options present themselves (you chose with a click of your mouse), there’s no lag or buffering to endure. If you don’t make a choice, Netflix makes it for you. As such, it is identical to watching a film. As an experience, it’s remarkable.”

The Telegraph (5 stars)

“What it adds up to is truly remarkable – a synapse-flensing caper that queries the nature of reality, the existence of free will and whether video games have got any better since the glory days of Lord of Midnight and Knight Lore...  In giving the viewer a smattering of choice, Black Mirror’s most disturbing episode yet argues forcefully that none of us are really in control of anything.” 

Metro (5 stars)

“The pure joy of this episode is that we have absolutely no idea if this is a normal experience or just the path we chose. For a world full of spoilers, it certainly keeps everyone on their toes.”

IGN

“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a one-of-a-kind interactive experience that takes the best aspects of video games and movies to create a compelling story with multiple narrative permutations. Bolstered by impactful performances from Fionn Whitehead and Will Poulter, this entry in Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series is worth experiencing more than once.”

‘Bandersnatch’ is going down equally as well on social media too...

‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ is available to stream on Netflix now.

The Russian Ambassador has said that if Russian network RT is closed in the UK, his Government will take similar measures against the BBC in Russia.

The escalation of words comes after Ofcom found RT’s coverage of the Skripal affair breached its broadcasting rules on 21 December.

Seven of RT’s programmes were found in breach of Ofcom’s impartiality rules, demonstrating what the regulator considers to be a ‘serious failure of compliance’.

Ofcom is now considering how to sanction the channel. Punishments could range from a requirement to make corrections on air, to the full revocation of RT’s broadcast licence.

After the ruling was announced, Russia announced it would open its own investigation in the BBC’s activities in Russia.

The Russian ambassador’s comments are the latest in a series of hostile spats between Russian and British media. 

On 27 December, the names of 44 BBC journalists and staff who work in Russia were published on social media platform, Vkontakte - a Russian site similar to Facebook.

The post condemned a recent article by The Sunday Times, that revealed the identities of eight Edinburgh-based Sputnik staff - a Moscow-funded news agency.

According to the Guardian, the list appears to have come from official documentation because the list only includes journalists registered with the Russian government. Also, the staff are identified by their legal names, which sometimes differ from their bylines.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC has strict editorial guidelines and has not published the details of journalists from other media organisations as there was no editorial reason or justification to do so. We are disappointed at the groundless publication of our Moscow team’s details.”

Most of the BBC staff who work in Russia are Russian citizens.

A couple who underwent IVF treatment after Facebook friends secretly crowdfunded to pay for the treatment have welcomed a baby girl.

Marisha Chaplin, 26, and her partner Jon Hibbs, 29, had their first daughter Evie following IVF treatment but could not afford another round.

So, unbeknown to the couple, a group of thoughtful mums on Facebook who had never met the pair raised £2,000 for the treatment.

Chaplin, who gave birth to Isla on Saturday, told the group as soon as she could despite being “pretty much out of it” from the Caesarean section, the BBC reported.

“It’s amazing, it really is. It’s better than we ever imagined and we didn’t think we would ever get to this point,” the mother-of-two told the BBC, adding that she is “so grateful” to those who had donated.

The couple met as teenagers in 2007 when Chaplin was undergoing cancer treatment and Hibbs came in for a check-up.

“I saw him and said to our Clic Sargent worker ‘I fancy him’ basically, and she said she could give him my MSN address,” Chaplin said.

The couple started using IVF donor eggs when Chaplin was 23, after trying to conceive naturally, and gave birth to Isla’s sister in 2016.

It was then that she joined a Facebook group for other mothers who had given birth at the same time, whose members raised the money and surprised them in a video played on Facebook Live.

The couple used frozen embryos left over from their previous IVF treatment.

Whether you’ve spent a fortune on hosting Christmas dinner for the family or have munched your way through a mountain of sprouts and turkey as a guest, you’ll probably be sick of the sight of traditional festive fare come Boxing Day.

It’s a special time of year, which means people tend to buy more food than they typically would any other time of the year, so there’s a good chance that there will be plenty of food leftover after the feasting has ended. 

Across the UK, two million turkeys and 74 million mince pies will be binned, according to the environmental charity Hubbub. But why chuck away those sad looking sprouts, cuts of turkey meat and scraps of Christmas pudding when you could transform them into something delicious? 

We’ve rounded up five tasty leftover recipes that will save you money on food and help to brighten up that lull between Christmas and New Year. 

Brussels Sprout And Pigs In Blankets Breakfast Hash

They are one of the most popular Christmas dinner items, but if you do have leftover pigs and blankets, as well as sprouts and potatoes, then you can transform them into a hearty festive breakfast hash.

You’ll need 200g Pigs in blankets (sliced in half), 500g Rooster potatoes (diced), two cloves of garlic (crushed), two tsp of oil, four eggs (free range) and a bunch of flat parsley (shredded). This recipe is made by chef Gary Maclean, who won  MasterChef: The Professionals in 2016 as part of a campaign with Love Food Hate Waste.

Method

1. Pre heat your oven to 200°C.
2. Dice the potato and fry until golden and crisp.
3. For the poached egg, fill a pan to three quarters with water add two tablespoons of white wine vinegar. Taste the water to make sure it’s sour - it is vital that the water has some acid in it as it helps to set the egg white.
4. Bring the pan of water to the boil before turning down to a simmer.
5. Place each egg into a ramekin and gently lower into the vinegar water before poaching for 2-3 minutes.
6. Once cooked, place the eggs into ice cold water. This gets rid of the vinegar taste and stops the cooking of the egg. Once cold drain onto a tea towel or kitchen paper.
7. Reheat in a pot of fresh salted simmering water when everything else is ready.
8. Add the halved pigs in blankets and cook until they start to crisp up, then add the crushed garlic and cook out for a couple of minutes.
9. Add the shredded flat parsley and then divide the mix between four dishes and top with a poached egg to serve.

Leek, Potato And Stilton Bites 

Tangy leek combines with the earthiness of potato and creaminess of Stilton to create these delicious bites, which you can make from leftovers (if your family hasn’t eaten all the cheese, that is).

Honey, Soy And Sesame Turkey Salad With Pomegranate 

By the end of Christmas Day, you’ll probably be hankering for something a little lighter than goose fat roasted potatoes, mince pies and cheese. 

In which case you could try this flavoursome salad recipe made by chef Ronnie Kimbugwe from restaurant and inn chain Bel And The Dragon, which is still pretty decadent as far as the flavours go and probably a welcome change from all those Christmas flavours.

Method

1. Shred your leftover turkey breast and leg with your fingers and place on a baking tray

2. Sprinkle over some chilli flakes and mix together a honey, soy & sesame oil dressing and drizzle it over the meat

3. In a large bowl, toss together mixed salad leaves, beansprouts, chickpeas and pomegranate

4. Place the turkey meat in a hot oven for 5 minutes, so it absorbs some of the dressing and chilli flavour.

5. Get a platter dish and lay out your salad mix, and scatter over the hot slightly crispy turkey.

6. To finish, sprinkle sesame seeds and a some crushed toasted cashew nuts. 

Brussels Sprout And Pancetta Pasta With A Sage And Roast Garlic Cream

For this dish, which serves four and has been created by organic company Riverford, you’ll need one whole garlic bulb, 200ml double cream, one tbsp olive or sunflower oil, 250g pancetta or streaky bacon, diced, one onion, very finely sliced, 6–8 sage leaves, finely shredded, one small glass of white wine (optional), 400g dried spelt or other pasta, 500g Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, halved or quartered, depending on size (keep a little of the core intact so the pieces hold together), four tbsp Parmesan, finely grated and salt and black pepper.

Method

1. First, roast the garlic whole. Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4 which takes around 40 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool slightly, then separate the cloves and squeeze the skin to release the flesh. Save half for another day and mix the remainder with the cream.

2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the pancetta or bacon and fry, stirring now and then, to brown it. Remove to a plate. Add a splash more oil if the pan seems dry, lower the heat, add the onion and fry very gently for 10 minutes until softened. Stir now and then to stop it catching.

3. Add the pancetta or bacon and sage to the onion. Turn up the heat and stir for two minutes. If using the wine, add it now and let it reduce for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic cream and let it bubble away for a couple more minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put two pans of salted water on to boil. While the onion and pancetta are cooking, add the pasta to one pan of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the pasta cooking water.

5. Meanwhile, blanch the Brussels sprouts in the other pan for 3–4 minutes, depending on size. Drain.

6. Stir half the Parmesan into the sauce, then toss in the cooked pasta and sprouts, adding a little reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste then serve sprinkled with the rest of the cheese. 

Christmas Pudding Brownies 

Nobody really likes Christmas pudding that much, let’s be honest, which is why we drown it in cream to make it palatable. But who doesn’t love a brownie? If you’ve got some pudding leftover why not whip it into a selection of fudgy, spiced brownies that can be served chilled as a festive afternoon treat, or warm for dessert with ice cream and caramel sauce.

The recipe, from Waitrose, takes just under an hour to make and serves 12. You’ll need 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
250g dark chocolate broken into small chunks, three medium eggs, 150g granulated sugar, one tsp flaky sea salt, four tbsp cocoa powder, two tbsp plain flour and  300g leftover cooked Christmas pudding, crumbled. 

The nature of the holidays a lot of us take has changed. Raised on travel diets of caravan trips to various parts of the UK and weeks in Spanish beach towns, if you’re a millennial, you’re likely more interested in fresh experiences and seeing something different than your parents, as recent research from analytics company Harris Insights and Analytics attests. 

If you find yourself in the UAE, head out to the region’s islands - away from the bright lights and pace of the main cities - and you’ll find something truly novel. Right now, the area is home to over 200 islands, plus more upcoming man-made ones in the making.

Here’s a few we recommend you making a beeline for. 

Dalma Island 

Originally referred to on ancient maps as ‘Pearl Island’, Dalma Island is home to actual buried treasure, as a historic centre for pearl trading and diving. Visit (via road, ferry or plane) for a real insight into UAE history and stroll around the tiny fishing communities and check out the Museum of Dalma, which hosts ancient artefacts from as far back as 5th millennium BC. Plus, rumour has it a ‘pearl pirate’ buried treasure there years ago. Always worth a hunt, right?

dalmaisland.com

Bu Tinah

An oasis of relatively untouched blue waters and coral reefs and, naturally, incredible marine life. Part of the first and largest UNESCO-certified nature reserve Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, the island is known by many as a ‘turtle haven’, and was shortlisted as one of the world’s seven natural wonders of the world back in 2009. It’s home to two endangered turtle species: the green and hawksbill turtles. The nature reserve itself is closed to tourists, but you can take a boat trip around its waters to see the tiny island (which is only two square kilometres in size) for yourself.  

visitabudhabi.ae

Sir Bani Yas 

The island’s Arabian Wildlife Park is the largest artificial nature reserve in the region (it takes up more than half of the island), and has 10,000 free roaming animals from gazellas to hyenas and cheetahs. So, a safari around the island is a no brainer. And if animals aren’t really your thing, fear not. There’s also an array of other activities to keep you busy, including water sports, mountain biking and horse riding.

anantara.com

Al Maya island 

An absolute must-visit destination for partygoers, Al Maya is a ten minute boat ride from the city to a largely secret location – head there for an unforgettable night of debauchery on the beautiful white beaches. The Maya Fridays pool parties are legendary, with the swim-up bars serving up reams of food platters and bottles of champagne for all. Check out the city’s top DJs, and even enter yourself into a volleyball tournament. Saturdays are much more chill - head over for the day for a zen day on the beach or by the pool, or look into renting a private villa.

almayauae.com

Al Samaliya island 

Another opportunity to get back to nature, if you’re all done with the city sights. You can get to know all about the lives of the region’s exotic animals, as well as its flowers and plants. There’s also a chance to learn more about the area’s pearl diving industry, as many of experts and old timers live on the island and are happy to chat you through the basics. The island is privately owned by the Emirates Heritage Club, so we do advise that you check with them before heading out there, but it really is a truly picturesque tropical haven that has to be seen to be believed.

Dolphin Bay 

Head out onto the waves for the day, in search for a firsthand look at our beautiful, elusive dolphin friends with a boat trip to Dolphin Bay. Regular stops for mid-ocean swims are a staple, as are the hours of beachside relaxation when you reach the remote island. Captain Tony’s boat tours come highly recommended, and leave from Yas Marina, which is located on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. There’s even a marine biologist on board, Arabella Willing, who will gladly answer all your sea creature-related questions.

headout.com