Politics
Best Strength Training For Longevity: How Many Minutes A Week Should You Lift?
Strength training has so many benefits, it’s hard to keep count. It’s been linked to up to four years of extra life, can help to protect us from falls as we age, may reduce dementia risk, and could maintain your bone health… the list goes on.
A new paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has added clarifying details for those hoping to see the most benefits from the activity.
After 30 years of follow-up from 147,374 participants, they found the optimum amount of lifting and resistance training per week for longevity.
How much strength training should I do per week?
This research found that the lowest risk of all-cause mortality was linked to one to two hours (60-119 minutes) of resistance training, especially if it was done alongside aerobic training.
The benefits of strength training seemed to “plateau” at two hours a week in this study, meanwhile.
Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, said: “I would generally advise at least two sessions of strength training per week, focusing on all the major muscle groups”.
How much of a difference does one to two hours a week of strength training make?
- 60-120 minutes of strength training a week was linked to 13% lower all-cause mortality risk,
- The risk of death from cardiovascular disease, like heart attack or stroke, was 19% lower,
- The risk of death from dementia was 27% lower,
- The risk of all-cause mortality was 58% lower when 90-120 minutes of strength training was combined with a high level of aerobic activity (30-45 hours a week).
What counts as resistance or strength training?
You don’t always need weights to do strength training.
Dr Wylie formerly told us that strength training “might include bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, or step-ups, or using resistance bands or weights at home or in the gym”.
The point is that your muscles work against a form of resistance, be that a dumbbell or your own weight.
She added, “The emphasis should be on steady, safe progression rather than attempting heavy lifts immediately”.
Politics
Italian journalist sues
Italian journalist Gabriele Nunziati is suing his former employer Agenzia Nova. Nunziati was sacked by the news agency in 2025 after asking a European Commission (EC) spokesman whether Israel should pay to rebuild Gaza, just as the EC insists Russia should rebuild Ukraine. The sacking came after an alleged call from the EC to Nova complaining about Nunziati’s question. The first hearing will take place on 9 June 2026. Amnesty International Italia is supporting the case and Nunziati’s press union, Stampa Romana, is funding it.
“Sector-wide mobilisation”
In a video announcement about his case, Nunziati said that many of his colleagues and other supporters will be gathering at the hearing in a “sector-wide mobilisation”. He added that he is just one example of such abuse of journalists, but many others are not receiving the same attention. And he ended by pointing out that legal battles are another front in the class war. Ordinary people are often excluded from it because of the cost in a capitalist system:
View this post on Instagram
Italian journalist — ‘List of shame’
As Nunziati has previously pointed out, the Israeli occupation military is on the UN’s ‘list of shame’ for its crimes in Gaza, particularly against children. Yet, as he notes:
despite being on the “list of shame” and the genocide in Gaza, IDF representatives are allowed to enter the Parliament to try to influence European policies in favour of their own interests.
The EU and its organisations are complicit in Israel’s genocide.
Featured image via International Federation of Journalists
By Skwawkbox
Politics
Office Romance Cast: Where Have You Seen The Stars Before?
Office Romance is the type of rom-com we have all been yearning for.
Written by and starring Brett Goldstein alongside romantic comedy queen Jennifer Lopez herself, the film dropped on Netflix on Friday, and quickly became a hit with viewers looking for something fun to help pass a night in.
Besides its central couple, the movie boasts an all-star cast that includes some of the funniest performers working right now from both sides of the Atlantic.
If you’re one of those who wasted no time in hitting play on Office Romance, here is where you’ll recognise some of the main cast from…
Jennifer Lopez

To be honest, if you don’t know who is Jennifer Lopez, you may well have been living under a rock for the last 30 years.
Just in case you need an update, though, J-Lo is a world-famous triple-threat who has primarily made a name for herself as a popstar, selling more than 80 million records worldwide, in addition to her successful career as an actor.
First finding fame in the biopic Selena, she has since become best known for her role in rom-coms like The Wedding Planner, Maid In Manhattan and Monster-in-Law.
Her recent career resurgence included her role in 2019’s Hustlers, which critics cited as one of the best of the year, and even generated Oscar buzz (although she didn’t end up getting nominated).
Jen is as known for her personal life as her career, thanks to her on/off relationship with Ben Affleck and past romances with the likes of Mark Anthony and baseball player Alex Rodríguez.
Brett Goldstein

Writer and actor Brett Goldstein is best known for his performance as Roy Kent in the sports comedy Ted Lasso, but he has had a career in comedy that spans more than a decade.
He first found fame when he appeared in Ricky Gervais comedy Derek as Tom, before going on to appear in Jessica Knapett’s comedy Drifters, Nick Helm’s Uncle and the – thankfully, long forgotten – David Hasselhoff mockumentary Hoff The Record.
Since going global as his mouthy footballer alter-ego in Ted Lasso, Hollywood has come calling. He previously made a cameo in Thor: Love & Thunder as Hercules, as well as writing and co-starring in rom-com All Of You and voicing the twins Ronnie and Reggie in The Sheep Detectives.
Since 2018, Brett has also hosted the podcast Films to Be Buried With, where guests talk about films that have been important in their lives.
Betty Gilpin

Betty Gilpin is one of America’s most underrated character actors.
After years of playing small, but scene-stealing, roles on TV, she found recognition when she was cast as Dr. Carrie Roman in the popular series Nurse Jackie.
Her following continued to grow when she began playing Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan in Netflix’s wrestling drama Glow, a role for which she was nominated for an Emmy and a Critics Choice Award.
Since appearing in Glow, she’s had a starring role in Gaslit alongside Julia Roberts, played a nun battling AI in Mrs. Davies and starred opposite Michael Shannon as former US president James Garfield’s wife, Lucretia, in Netflix’s Death By Lightning.
Her most famous – or, perhaps, infamous – role on the big screen came in 2020, when she starred in The Hunt, which a satirical dystopian drama which sent up political divisions in the US.
On stage, Betty was the first actor to play Mary Todd Lincoln after Cole Escola’s departure from their award-winning play Oh, Mary!.
Amy Sedaris

Comedy Central/Kobal/Shutterstock
Amy Sedaris is one of the most iconic names in modern comedy thanks to her performances as Jerri Blank in Strangers With Candy, Mimi Kanasis in the Tina Fey sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and numerous characters in her Emmy-nominated show At Home with Amy Sedaris.
You may also know Amy for playing scrap owner Peli Motto in both The Mandalorian and The Book Of Boba Fett.
Office Romance isn’t Amy’s first J-Lo film, either.
She also appeared in Maid In Manhattan as Natasha Richardson’s snobby friend, while her other big-screen credits include Elf, the ill-fated Bewitched remake and the cult horror Jennifer’s Body.
Tony Hale

20th Century Fox Television/Kobal/Shutterstock
Comedy fans will definitely be familiar with Tony Hale’s work.
Tony is most recognisable for his role as the hapless Buster Bluth in Arrested Development, as well as his performance as the doting assistant Gary in the political comedy Veep.
Besides his stand-out roles, he also played minor characters in the likes of Sex And The City, ER, The Sopranos and Dawson’s Creek in the early years of his career.
On film, Tony is a prolific voice actor, most known for playing Forky in the Toy Story franchise, as well as The Angry Birds Movie, the animated Harley Quinn TV show and Inside Out 2, in which he replaced Bill Hader as the voice of Fear.
Bradley Whitford

Warner Bros Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Bradley is synonymous with his Emmy-winning role as Josh Lyman, the White House’s Deputy Chief of Staff, in The West Wing.
He is also known for his role as the father in Get Out, who uttered the iconic line: “I would have voted for Obama a third time if I could.”
His other TV work includes playing a drug addicted producer in Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Marcy in eight episodes of Transparent and Commander Joseph Lawrence in The Handmaid’s Tale.
He recently reunited with his West Wing co-star Allison Janney in the Netflix drama The Diplomat – as well as appearing in Death By Lightning with fellow Office Romance actor Betty Gilpin.
Edward James Olmos

Sci-Fi Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock
Edward is most recognisable to TV fans for playing Lieutenant Martin “Marty” Castillo in Miami Vice and William Adama in Battlestar Galactica.
More recently, he had a leading role in Sons Of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C as Ezekiel and Angel’s father Felipe Reyes.
On the big screen, Edward starred as police officer Gaff in Blade Runner and was Oscar-nominated for Stand And Deliver, where he played real-life inspirational mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante.
He also played Jennifer Lopez’s on-screen father in her breakout movie, Selena.
Rick Hoffman

Dutch Oven/Kobal/Shutterstock
If you watched the drama Suits, you’ll remember Rick Hoffman for his role as Harvey’s rival Louis Litt.
Outside of Suits, he had parts in the comedies The Bernie Mac Show and Samantha Who?, as well as playing Dr. Swerdlow opposite Damien Lewis in the drama Billions.
Rick is also a frequent collaborator of the horror writer and director Eli Roth, appearing in Hostel and its sequel, as well as 2023’s Thanksgiving.
Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker is a mainstay of British TV, although arguably no role was bigger than when she played the Thirteenth Doctor between 2017 and 2022 in Doctor Who.
Before she entered the Tardis, Jodie found fame playing the mother of the murdered Danny in Broadchurch, before appearing in firefighting drama The Smoke, medical show Trust Me and a stand-out episode of Black Mirror, The Entire History Of You.
In the last couple of years alone, Jodie has appeared in Toxic Town alongside Aimee Lou Wood, starred with Suranne Jones in the ITV crime drama Frauds and played real-life sports psychologist Pippa Grange in the football drama Dear England.
Will Sasso

Will Sasso started his career as part of sketch series Mad TV, before going on to appear in a wide range of comedies, including his most recent stint as Mandy’s dad, Jim, in both Young Sheldon and its spin-off Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
His film credits include playing Curly in a 2012 biopic about The Three Stooges, Sienna Miller’s on-screen brother-in-law in the drama American Woman and a sheriff in the 2025 horror Clown In A Cornfield.
Mary Wiseman

Science fiction fans will be familiar with Mary Wiseman thanks to her portrayal of Sylvia Tilly in the Star Trek series Discovery.
Mary also had a supporting role in Longmire as Meg Joyce, and more recently played White House executive chef Marvella in the Shondaland drama The Residence on Netflix.
You might have also seen her portraying the serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s sister, Karen, in the US crime series Devil In Disguise, featuring Orange Is The New Black’s Michael Chernus in the central role.
Tony Plana

David Giesbrecht/Disney General Entertainment Con
Tony Plana is best known for playing Betty’s dad, Ignacio, in the hit comedy Ugly Betty.
Before that, Tony was a prolific TV actor who appeared in the likes of Hill Street Blues, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The West Wing, 24, and Cagney & Lacey.
He also had a supporting roe in Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle’s abusive stepfather, working alongside Eva Longoria.
Roger Bart

Ron Tom Disney General Entertainment Con
Talking of Desperate Housewives, if you watched the show, you’ll know Roger for his performance as the homicidal pharmacist, George Williams, who was infamously obsessed with Wisteria Lane resident Bree Van de Kamp.
Although the Tony-award winning theatre actor is better known for his on-stage work, he also played true crime writer Mason Treadwell in Revenge, the smug TV writer Roger in Matt LeBlanc meta-comedy Episodes and Vice Principal Nero Feint in the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
He also played Roger Bannister in the remake of The Stepford Wives and Carmen Ghia in the musical The Producers, as well as lending his singing voice to the Disney musical Hercules, performing the film’s signature ballad Go The Distance.
Michelle Hurd

Among Michelle Hurd’s stand-out roles is her recent work as Raffi Musiker in Star Trek: Picard.
She first came to prominence playing Monique in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before going on to portray Kerry’s girlfriend Courtney in the iconic medical drama ER, Eleanor Waldorf’s strict assistant in the first seasons of Gossip Girl and a main role in the drama series Blindspot.
You may also know her for her recent work as D.A. Samantha Reyes in Jessica Jones and Daredevil, as well as the Sydney Sweeney rom-com Anyone But You, in which she starred as Alexandra Shipp’s character’s mum.
Lisa Gilroy

Actor and comedian Lisa Gilroy is a star on the rise.
Her work so far has included a minor role in The Studio as Zoe Kravitz’s publicist, in addition to playing Vermin in Anthony Mackie’s Twisted Metal and Kelseigh in Ted Danson comedy A Man On The Inside.
Her recent work has seen her playing Lily in the new reboot of Scrubs, and a woman who is overcome with Jimmy’s grief in the latest series of Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
Norm Lewis

Vivian Zink Disney General Entertainment Con
If you’re a theatre-goer, you may have seen Norm Lewis in action during one of his many on-stage performances, which include playing Javert in Les Misérables and the title role in The Phantom Of The Opera, as well as its sequel Love Never Dies.
As for his work on screen, he appeared in Spike Lee’s war film Da 5 Bloods and the Hilary Swank crime thriller The Good Mother, as well as portraying Senator Edison Davis in the gripping Scandal.
X Mayo

X Mayo rose to fame earlier this year thanks to her performance as Janelle James in the Marvel series Wonder Man.
She also had a lead role in the sitcom American Auto, and appeared in Maya Rudolph’s Apple TV+ comedy Loot.
Office Romance is streaming now on Netflix
Politics
World cup chaos as US denies visas to Iranian team officials
Iran’s Football Federation (IFF) has accused the US of “vindictive behavior” after it denied visas to 14 officials and backroom staff from Iran’s World Cup team.
Hedayat Mombeini, Iran Football Federation’s secretary-general, and Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, its vice president, are among the staff who do not have visas. The country’s first game is in Los Angeles on June 16.
The US, Mexico and Canada are jointly hosting the tournament, which starts on June 11.
Iran had already moved its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, just across the US border. This was because of problems processing visas.
The IFF said the visa denials have:
effectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination.
Previously, Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkïye, congratulated his embassy staff for processing the Iranian team’s visas. In response, the Iranian Embassy in Ankara said:
You cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States’ host obligations merely by praising yourselves.
This represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.
Iran’s football federation added to those remarks:
The US government, continuing its hostile actions against the national team … made a non-sporting and completely political decision to refuse visas for key managerial and administrative members of the Iranian national football team.
No other teams or their officials have been denied visas. However, fans from Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, Iran, and Senegal are all banned from entering the US due to Trump’s travel bans.
Journalists barred
The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has written to FIFA. It claims that the US has denied visas to “many” Iranian and African journalists to cover the World Cup.
Gianni Merlo, president of AIPS, wrote:
There are many cases: Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States. The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable. Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction.
Detaining players
Now, Iran’s squad has been notified that they must enter and leave US soil on the same day of their matches.
However, after US border agents detained an Iraqi player for over seven hours, this raises serious questions.
ICE held and searched the phone of Aymen Hussein, Iraq’s World Cup striker, at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.
Hussein — the man who scored the goal that secured Iraq’s qualification for the tournament — was finally allowed in. However, the team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was barred from entering the US after being detained and questioned for more than 10 hours.
In a statement since entering the US, Hussein questioned:
Why is America hosting the World Cup if it is so hostile to foreign nationals?
If Iranian players are held for questioning when they enter the US, it could dramatically impact their ability to get games on time — if at all.
The Iranian squad has three group matches in the United States, in Los Angeles and Seattle.
World cup chaos
The World Cup has already seen more chaos than most previous tournaments, and it hasn’t even started yet.
The Japanese team had to move to a new training venue after players complained that the pitches were unsuitable for play.
In England’s pre-tournament friendly, fans noticed the names of players shown on the big screen were all muddled. Hilariously, according to the screen, Marcus Stones, Djed Bellingham, and Jarrell Rashford were all in England’s starting 11.
Aside from the blatant racism involved in travel bans and revoking visas, all of this goes to show that the US under Trump is completely unable to even facilitate a world-renowned sporting event.
Trump’s America is a global laughing stock, and the World Cup will only make that more obvious.
Featured image via FRANCE 24 English/Youtube
By HG
Politics
Trump Storms Out Of ‘Meet The Press’ Interview When Kristen Welker Challenges His Claims
President Donald Trump dipped into his arsenal of insults as he grew increasingly frustrated with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker doing her job as a journalist before he eventually stormed out of an interview that aired on Sunday. (Watch in the clip below.)
Trump’s crash-out arrived minutes after Welker asked him about the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund, a concept that the administration says its “not moving forward” despite the president not ruling out the idea of January 6 rioters getting taxpayer-funded payouts.
After expressing his openness to paying those who attacked police officers during the Capitol riot, he dropped several false, baseless claims regarding the attack, including one about FBI agents “ushering” people into the building and those who pled guilty to assaulting cops.
Welker challenged the president’s fog of falsehoods on multiple occasions, later taking on his talk of “rigged” primary elections that took place in California, evidence of which is about as present as the dodo bird.
“Let me tell you, it’s four days, and they aren’t even close to coming up
with the—,” Trump started.
“That’s how they count the votes in California,” Welker interjected.
“Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election,” Trump continued.
“There’s… What? Do you have evidence to support that?” the host asked.
“It’s — all I have to do is look. All I have to do is look,” Trump replied.
“But that’s not evidence,” Welker reminded the president.
Trump went on to accuse California election officials of being “crooked” before attacking Welker, adding, “Just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked.”
“You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,” Trump told Welker.
He continued his tantrum about the “crooked” media, a rambling set to the tune of rain hitting the metal roof of a farm building in Wisconsin, the site of the interview.
“You’re a one-sided crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” he said as he tossed his microphone to the ground and made a dismissive hand gesture toward Welker.
“Mr. President, let’s ― please, I travelled all the way to Wisconsin,” she pleaded.
“I’ve sat in the rain with you,” said the president, pointing to the roof.
“I know. I travelled all the way—,” she replied.
“I sat in the rain with you for an hour,” repeated Trump as he looked directly at Welker. “On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”
He then signalled for his team to leave, got up from his seat and proceeded to walk off camera.
After the interviewed aired, Welker said she spoke with the president Saturday and the two acknowledged the “complications” posed by the rain during the interview. Trump has agreed to sit down for another interview, per Welker.
Politics
Israeli soldiers murder 7-month-old in Occupied West Bank
Israeli soldiers shot and murdered a seven-month-old baby in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, West Bank, on Friday, June 5.
Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was in his mother’s arms when Israeli soldiers killed him. The IOF opened fire on a car which was carrying the infant and his family. They shot despite the car having complied with an order to stop, injuring both his parents.
Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was critically injured and evacuated in critical condition to a hospital. He later died from his injuries. Fahd’s 11-year-old son and mother were also in the car.
Abu Haikal’s wife is still in critical condition, with shrapnel close to her heart.
According to Fahd Abu Haikal, Sam’s father, a bullet passed through his hand and struck his son, Sam, who his mother was holding in the back seat. The family had been driving through Hebron when IOF soldiers signalled the vehicle to stop.
Abu Haikal told Haaretz:
The soldier signalled me to stop. I brought the car to a complete halt and raised my hands on the steering wheel. Immediately afterwards, they opened fire on the vehicle. The soldier was about 10 metres away from me. He saw me, he saw my wife and the children.
The windows were not tinted, it was broad daylight and everything was clear. You can’t say he didn’t see that it was a family. I stopped as I was instructed to, and then they simply shot at the car.
There was no clear checkpoint, just soldiers standing in the street. I stopped when I was asked to, and then the shooting started.
This was after the IOF claimed that troops:
perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them and one of the soldiers responded with single shots toward the vehicle.
‘Single shots’ is a funny way of saying open fire, or multiple rounds. But I guess Israel will do anything to avoid accountability.
West Bank and Gaza — A pattern
As of September 2025, Israel had murdered over 20,000 children in Gaza, or two percent of all children in Gaza. That is the equivalent of at least one Palestinian child every hour over nearly 23 months of genocide.
Of these, at least 1,009 were under the age of one, and half of these were born and then killed during the genocide. Israel had injured an additional 42,011 children and left 21,000 permanently disabled, as of September. Thousands more are presumed to be under the rubble.
This shows a pattern. Israel deliberately carpet bombs civilian areas and targets children.
Israel is doing exactly the same in Lebanon. In the first 25 days of the ‘ceasefire‘ that definitely isn’t a ceasefire, Israel killed or injured more than four children per day. This brings the total number of children that Israel has killed in Lebanon since March 2 to 199.
In July 2024, UNICEF reported that Israel had killed 143 Palestinian children in the West Bank since October 2023. That’s one child every two days. Additionally, Israel has injured more than 440 Palestinian children with live ammunition.
The West Bank has seen an increase in large, militarised law enforcement operations over the past few years. Of course, this is illegal under international law, and the IOF has no right to be in the West Bank.
Where’s the morality?
Israel and its terrorist army have no morality and no conscience. It bombs hospitals, murders and maims babies, and carpet bombs whole cities under the guise of ‘defeating terrorists’. We all know it’s real M.O — a Greater Israel, and to make that happen, it has to ethnically cleanse every single Palestinian from their native land.
No doubt Israel will tell us that a seven-month-old was the mastermind behind October 7. Or it was antisemitic.
But one thing is clear — anyone who supports Israel supports babies being murdered in cold blood.
Feature image October 7News/Youtube
By HG
Politics
Reform retract grim attack ad following legal challenge
On 30 May, Reform UK posted a grim AI slop post which depicted refugees holding ‘Vote Andy‘ banners. Now, the party has been forced to take down the post following a legal challenge from the creator of the banner image:
Stanley Chow: "My work has been used without permission to share a message that I fundamentally disagree with" pic.twitter.com/76wuglQq8K
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 6, 2026
NEW: Nigel Farage has deleted a post using Andy Burnham's portrait after the artist launched legal action for using it to push "anti-immigration" messaging
Stanley Chow VS Reform
Stanley Chow is the artist who created the now-familiar cartoon of a dour-looking Burnham with a red background. Chow is a Mancunian and a second-generation immigrant, and has said that Reform’s AI monstrosity “misrepresents what the image stands for and what I believe in”.
He added:
For me, this is straightforward – my work has been used without permission to share a message that I fundamentally disagree with. To see my portrait, created to represent something positive about Manchester and Andy’s vision for the city, being used without my permission to push agendas, including an anti-immigration message, is fundamentally unfair and wrong.
Chow sent a letter to Reform HQ requesting at least £5,000 in damages and an apology. Reform claimed in response that their post was fair use, and that the party has:
removed the posts in good faith and without any admission of liability on our part
Reform also claimed the legal action was “politically motivated”. Given that Reform is a political party, it can argue any action against itself is ‘politically motivated’. In other words, its spokespeople shouldn’t get away with using it as a get-out-jail-free card.
Dehumanisation
Regardless of whether the post ends up being legally sound or not, it was clearly disgusting. The people who travel by small boats to the UK are human beings who face tremendous risks. Turning them into a sick joke like this demonstrates that Farage & .co put very little value on human life.
If you think they don’t have a similarly low opinion of British lives, by the way, you’re going to be in for a shock should they ever take power.
Featured image via Carl Court (Getty Images)
By Willem Moore
Politics
Teachers Reminisce About The Days Of Brutally Honest School Reports
A headteacher once wrote in Dame Judi Dench’s school report: “Judi would be a very good pupil if she lived in this world.” Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Fry fared worse: “He has glaring faults and they have certainly glared at us this term.”
And it seems this level of brutal honesty is sorely missed among some of those teachers penning today’s school reports.
In an eye-opening r/TeachingUK post, one educator shared that “every year it quite annoys me how we aren’t allowed to just flat out tell the truth about a child in the report, everything has to be reworded as a positive as not to offend anyone”.
“For example, the child in my Y4 class who throws chairs and calls me a stupid c*** every day is now being described as ‘working towards making more positive choices in the school day’,” they noted.
“I remember getting my school report back (I was mostly a good kid) which explained how I spent most of the time chatting and not listening, and my mum went mad, best believe I sat and listened as to not get another report like that.”
While they caveated that some school reports in the 1990s did go “a bit far”, the teacher suggested “everything has to be worded positively” in modern-day school reports. And many seemed to be in agreement.
“Yeah it’s gone too far the other way,” said one commenter. “There’s a difference between saying a kid is rude and cruel vs saying they have been acting rude and cruel, and we should be able to say the latter.”
Another chimed in: “It’s daft. I think there’s a lot of reasons honesty should be allowed in reports. One of them being that we are seeing many cases of undiagnosed SEN [special educational needs] such as ADHD, ASD etc where school reports can be a vital piece of info.”
Some suggested that because reports used to be handwritten, teachers “got to be brief, and absolutely brutal”.
“I’ve seen ones that boiled down to ‘John has no aptitude for science and should not continue’. That was it; no euphemisms, no niceties, just absolute honesty,” shared a teacher.
“We were discussing today that we should be allowed to rank the child in parental discussions about behaviour. If that child is the number 1 problem in class you should absolutely be able to call them out on it and make it crystal clear to parents that their child is the worst; not this ‘well other kids in the class…’, ‘boys will be boys…’ excuse-making you get, the cold hard reality that your child is the worst kid in the class.”
But there were a handful of respondents who disagreed that school reports decades ago were not so different to those of today.
“Nah, I’ve read my old school reports from the 90s and they were full of the same old banalities that we use today,” said one educator.
“There’s this false nostalgia for the days of honest school reports, whatever that means. The biggest difference between the reports I received as a child and the reports I write now as a teacher is that the former were handwritten! Can you imagine going back to that?”
Another teacher said that there’s more contact between schools and parents nowadays, meaning serious issues are usually raised before report season, “whereas for some in the 90s, the report and parents evening were nearly the only contact they had with school”.
They ended: “In my view, the long, detailed school report itself is a bit of an anachronism now because of this change in the home-school dynamic.”
There’s been growing discontent with school reports for some time, both from teachers and parents. Back in 2015, The Guardian reported how both parties were increasingly unhappy with “robotic” school reports.
At the time, a deputy headteacher revealed in an op-ed how “many teachers no longer feel that they can tell parents what they really think about their children”.
Politics
Here’s What Vanilla Is Really Made From
We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the fact that cloves and capers are both technically flower buds, while figs are technically inverted flowers.
(Don’t even get me started on their horrific historic relationship with wasps).
So, what about vanilla, which comes in a pod? I’ve never quite been sure whether it counts as a fruit, a vegetable, bean, or something else – never mind how it’s actually grown.
Where does vanilla come from?
Vanilla beans are not actually beans – they’re really the unripe fruit of an orchid. So, vanilla itself is a fruit.
The pods grow on the climbing plant of the flower’s vine. This long, thin fruit can grow up to 20cm long and can take up to nine months to mature.
They aren’t harvested when they’re fully ripe, though; vanilla is usually picked when its base turns golden-green.
These fruits barely have any smell when they’re picked. The famous vanilla scent comes from enzymatic reactions in the fruit as it’s cured.
Traditionally, the pods were steamed and cured in the sun for about 10 days before five to six months of drying. This process leads to tiny crystals called vanillin – responsible for that sweet smell and taste – forming on the surface of some pods.
The higher the grade of vanilla, the more of these crystals it may have.
Something similar happens to capers; when they’re cured and/or salted, they release mustard oil and rutin. That leads to their signature tang and the little white spots you sometimes see on their skin.
Why is vanilla so expensive?
The vanilla orchid is hand-pollinated, even to this day.
While they can be pollinated by insects, too, only one tiny species of bee is designed for the task. These don’t live in all the countries that produce vanilla, either.
And it’s not like the bees (or hand-pollinators) have got a huge window to do their jobs, either. Vanilla flowers tend to stay open for just six to eight hours at a time and usually only do so once a year.
Hand pollination is “an extremely tricky process done with a slim toothpick,” Kew Gardens explained.
After that’s done, you have to wait almost a year for a usable fruit.
The long curing process, along with “the practice of manual pollination, makes vanilla one of the most expensive spices (after saffron),” spice and extract company McCormick’s Science Institute said.
Is there fake vanilla?
Yes, lots of it. In fact, I’m now convinced I’ve never eaten real vanilla in my life.
Imitation vanilla is a far cheaper, though arguably less delicious, version of the flavour made from manufactured extracts.
Less than 1% of the world’s vanilla flavour (vanillin) comes from vanilla orchids, Scientific American said.
Other ways to achieve a similar taste involve guaiacol, a fragrant liquid made by distilling wood-tar creosote or tree resin. That’s responsible for about 85% of the world’s vanilla flavour.
And manufacturers use lignin for the rest, a substance found in things like cow manure and wood pulp.
So, Kew Gardens explained, “much of the ‘vanilla essence’ commonly used today is actually made from wood pulp or coal tar”.
Politics
I Worried My Daughter Loved Her Toys Too Much. Then, Another Family Lost Everything.
When our daughter was preschool-aged, Princess Ariel dolls littered every room. Our once tranquil interior – a blend of coastal and cottage design – looked like an ill-kept aquarium full of plastic ornaments but no actual fish.
Our child dressed the part, too: Whether headed for the playground or grocery store, her tiny toes poked out beneath a sparkling green fishtail.
As a former clinical social worker, I knew imaginative play served an important role in child development, but I worried about the degree of fantasy we were helping her cultivate. I was also exhausted. While she twirled in a red wig, I was miscast in the role of Prince Eric. My throat ached from forcing a deep voice each day.
One evening, I found rose petals scattered around plastic doll furniture and knew a wedding ceremony was imminent, but I couldn’t bear another moment of make-believe. I begged my husband, Tomer, to take over.
“No way,” our daughter said. “Daddy’s no good at dolls. Mommy’s the best.”
It was a contest I wanted to lose, but never did. Tomer insisted he lacked creativity, but I suspected he was feigning incompetence to gain more personal time. When would I reclaim an adult life? His career was thriving, but I’d traded mine for full-time parenting.
Tomer tried to help out, but when left alone with our kid, he took her shopping for more toys. It was a strategy he employed to avoid actual playtime.
“I can’t sit on the floor,” he said. “It hurts my back.”
One morning, I found scissors beside a life-size styling head and followed a trail of synthetic hair into the bathroom, where red clumps clogged the toilet.
As I plunged the bowl, guilt churned my stomach. After all, I depended on their shopping sprees to catch a break. Determined to change course, I insisted Tomer try something new – maybe an art project – while seated comfortably at the table.
Later that afternoon, laughter echoed from the dining room. Were they crafting? Yes. It seemed a miracle until I looked up and saw toilet paper, probably three rolls of it, dangling from the chandelier.
“It’s a coral reef,” they explained.
Tomer winked. “I did the parts she couldn’t reach.”
Our daughter jumped around. “I did the rest all by myself.”
The “rest” amounted to stacked paper cups and piled pillows. A roll of alluminum foil covered our wood flooring to achieve water’s reflective quality. In the middle of the table was a silver-plated fork.
She beamed. “That’s Ariel’s hairbrush.”
I frowned. “That’s fancy cutlery.”
“That we never used,” Tomer said.
What could I say? The man had done as I’d asked. I went to bed feeling a mix of hope and dread.
By morning, the coral reef had grown. Paper cups climbed the stairs; alluminum foil lined the banister. I could’ve cleaned up or made them do it, but I lacked energy, so the reef kept expanding.

Photo Courtesy Of Jen Gilman Porat
Whatever our daughter didn’t own, she created from found materials. For a mermaid carnival, she sprinkled sugar on lint gathered from the clothes dryer and called it cotton candy. I couldn’t help but feel proud of her resourcefulness; moreover, since the mess was homemade, I thought things were improving.
Then, Disney released a new movie. Tomer took our daughter to see it, and when they returned, she ran straight to the chandelier and ripped off the toilet paper. As Scott Tissue drifted down, our kid shouted, “Let it snow!”
By nightfall, a new cast of characters moved in. For every Queen Elsa, there was also a Princess Anna. A single snowman named Olaf seemed to reproduce despite having no mate. Ariel’s ocean turned to ice, but our daughter still invited mermaids to every “Frozen”-themed event.
When I complained about the new purchases, Tomer pushed back. “It makes me happy to see her happy, and nothing makes her happier than another doll.”
But there was one night that Tomer seemed to share my concern. He came home hungry, peered into the refrigerator, and found nothing but dolls, apple juice and faux food.
“Olaf is hosting an ice cream social,” I explained.
“This is out of control,” he said.
“But look at her creativity.” I pointed at the bottom shelf, where she’d placed a sea monster molded from Play-Doh and green Jell-O.
Tomer sighed and ordered a pizza.
Our marriage dynamic resembled a seesaw. When one of us overindulged, the other would try and contain the madness. Then, we’d swap places all over again. Meanwhile, we never conquered the clutter, and I worried the mess amounted to worse than aesthetic harm.
“What if she ends up caring more about material possessions than human relationships?”
“She’s not going to care about toys forever,” Tomer said.

Photo Courtesy Of Jen Gilman Porat
Time proved him right. In late 2019, our daughter stopped playing. It seemed sudden and felt sad. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, and we got stuck at home with all those abandoned toys. Like everyone else, we ran low on toilet paper, too. Oftentimes, I caught myself gazing at the chandelier, longing for the backup supply that had once draped down.
Another month into lockdown, I learned through Facebook that a local family’s home had caught fire. Everyone survived, but they’d lost all their possessions.
Our daughter made an announcement. “Those kids need toys, and my toys need kids. I want to give everything away.”
Together, we moved her playthings outside the front door. Our daughter used ribbon to tie makeshift masks over every miniature mouth. She hid lollipops and Post-it notes inside Queen Elsa’s ice castle. “Enjoy! Stay safe!” Tears leaked from my eyes as she kissed each Olaf goodbye.
We watched from the window as a truck pulled into the driveway. Out popped the parents and their three kids. They ran toward the mountain of toys, and what had seemed like too much for one child instantly transformed into the perfect amount to share.
Our daughter grinned. “Look. They’re so happy.”
Her empathy exposed my foolishness. I’d wasted precious years worried that our daughter’s attachment to toys amounted to selfishness, but our daughter had always demonstrated kindness in all of her imagined scenarios. No doll was ever bullied or left out. I’d been focused on the cluttered surface and missed the deeper level where our child had been developing interpersonal skills and moral character all along.
Regret overwhelmed me. I wanted to go back, but of course, time kept moving forward.

Photo Courtesy Of Jen Gilman Porat
More recently, our daughter celebrated her Sweet 16. Before we started decorating, she insisted on removing the final traces of the coral reef: three plush mermaids were still hanging from the chandelier. They’d watched over our holiday meals for longer than a decade.
Today, the mermaid trio sits in my office. Maybe a future grandchild will spark generosity, but for now, they’re all mine. A source of inspiration whenever I’m facing a new challenge, I notice the pastel plushies decorating my bookshelf and am reminded to search for deeper meaning in whatever seems to be taking up too much time and space.
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Politics
Jon Snow, Former Channel 4 News Star, Shares Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Veteran news presenter Jon Snow has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The 78-year-old shared during a new interview with the Daily Mail that he was told he had the disease, which is the most common form of dementia, four years ago.
He explained that he wanted to go public with his condition to raise awareness around Alzheimer’s, saying: “If I don’t speak out, who will?”
Jon will dive deeper into living with Alzheimer’s in a new film, Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, which will air on Channel 4 on Saturday 20 June.
Having stepped down from Channel 4 News in 2021, after more than 30 years with the broadcaster, he came out of retirement for his latest project, which saw him investigating the aftermath of a mining disaster in Zambia.
In the film, Jon is heard saying: “At the beginning I wanted to hide [my diagnosis], there’s so much prejudice. Any sort of hint of mental decay, you’re sort of dead.
“There are moments when it pops up but it’s not an all day every day condition, and that’s what I cling onto.”

David Fisher/Shutterstock
Jon’s wife, Dr Precious Lunga, said: “Life doesn’t end with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but it changes dramatically. You can have Alzheimer’s and still be a valuable member of society but you need support to navigate it.”
The Bafta Fellowship recipient began his career in journalism at LBC in the 1970s, before he moved to ITN, serving as its Washington correspondent and diplomatic editor.
In 1989, he then made the jump to Channel 4 News, where he remained until the early 2020s.
The CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, Michelle Dyson, said: “Jon’s decision to talk publicly about his dementia diagnosis is a real act of courage and his story will resonate with so many.
“His support for Alzheimer’s Society will help spark a national conversation about dementia that we so desperately need. Despite being the UK’s biggest killer, dementia is still not treated with the same urgency as other major health conditions like cancer.
“Alongside his wife Precious, Jon is shining a light on the need for faster, fairer access to diagnosis. An early diagnosis can unlock vital support, help families plan ahead and potentially open the door to participation in clinical trials.
“Yet too many people across the country are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis. We look forward to working with Jon, whose long-standing commitment to speaking out against injustice will help ensure the harsh realities of dementia cannot be ignored by the UK Government and the NHS.”
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