We’ve got some good news for you – sort of – in that the UK and Manchester have been named among the best places to survive a cataclysmic event.

According to new research, the UK is actually one of the world’s ‘most resilient’ countries when it comes to future threats, whether that be a complete breakdown of society, a natural disaster or the effects of climate change.

If one of these scenarios were to happen, some countries would be better able to cope than others according to the study.

New Zealand was named the best location to ride out a cataclysmic event, with Iceland, the UK, Australia and Ireland also top places for survival.

Researchers looked at a range of different events, from viral pandemics to extreme flooding or droughts, and only a few countries seemed protected even under such circumstances.

Image by JL G from Pixabay

The study, undertaken by the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, concluded that being surrounded by water was a good protection from climate catastrophes.

On top of that, the amount of farming and housing land, ‘carrying capacity’, energy and manufacturing self-sufficiency, and how far a country is from large populations who might be displaced were taken into account.

The people responsible for the study had a dire warning for us, saying that our planet is currently in a ‘perilous state’ because of ‘large and growing risks in multiple spheres’ – with much of this brought about by climate change.

Image by JL G from Pixabay

While Professor Aled Jones – one of the authors of the research paper – said he ‘wasn’t surprised’ at New Zealand coming in top spot, he was by the UK scoring so highly.

Professor Jones told the Guardian: “We were quite surprised the UK came out strongly.

“It is densely populated, has traditionally outsourced manufacturing, hasn’t been the quickest to develop renewable technology, and only produces 50 per cent of its own food at the moment. But it has the potential to withstand shocks.”

The research was published in the journal Sustainability, and concluded that the five most suitable countries to survive societal collapse had certain things in common.

This included high levels of both ‘societal and technological complexity’, lower temperatures to offset the worst excesses of climate change, and the ability to supply their own energy.

Image by 733215 from Pixabay

New Zealand was easily the most resilient country as it boasts massive geothermal and hydroelectric energy reserves, as well as lots of farmland and low density population – Iceland, Australia and Ireland presented a similar picture.

The reasons for the UK taking a top spot are more complex, with fertile soils and large agricultural variety being a big plus, while the large amount of food we import raised questions about future self-sufficiency.

The researchers didn’t have an exact answer for what might kickstart a collapse of society, they suggested it could either be a sudden incident that happens in less than a year with no warning or a ‘long descent’.

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay

However, there was some optimism among all the doom and gloom, with the experts saying the very worst consequences of climate change are avoidable if we start making changes.

Professor Jones said: “Significant changes are possible in the coming years and decades.

“The impact of climate change, including increased frequency and intensity of drought and flooding, extreme temperatures, and greater population movement, could dictate the severity of these changes.”

Wayne Rooney was photographed asleep in a hotel bedroom this weekend, with the images quickly going viral.

The photos show a fully clothed Rooney passed out in a chair after a night out in Manchester, after he went to the hotel with three women.

And today it’s been reported that the former Manchester United captain was asked for £10,000 to keep the photos hidden from his wife Coleen.

According to reports, the police launched a blackmail probe over a message sent to Rooney on Instagram that included a photo from the hotel and the comment: “Morning Wayne 10 grand please mate or Coleen sees this.”

Станислав Ведмидь / Wikimedia

However, according to officers they have now dropped the investigation after concluding that no offence had been committed.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: “On Monday July 26th Cheshire Constabulary received reports of a possible blackmail relating to a number of images circulating online.

“Officers have spoken to the person involved and are satisfied that no offences have taken place.

“The person involved has also stated that they do not wish to take the matter any further.”

It’s not been suggested that the women from the photos, Tayler Ryan, Elise Melvin and Brooke Morgan, all aged 21, were knowingly involved in any criminal activity.

Rooney met the women at the newly reopened China White nightclub on Saturday night before heading back to their hotel.

As the Derby County manager appeared to fall asleep, several photos were taken, with one featuring a woman bending over beside him in her underwear with the caption ‘Mooney Rooney’, while another was captioned ‘Sleepy Wayne’.

As the photos went viral on social media, Rooney’s legal team contacted Greater Manchester Police, before the case was passed to Cheshire Police.

While most of us are confident that washing our hair is a mastered skill, a hairdresser has claimed that the majority of people have been doing it wrong for years.

Can we not do anything right?

The hairdresser – known only as Felicity – unintentionally created a social media firestorm when she took to Twitter to share her professional advice on how to properly use shampoo. 

Apparently, it isn’t just the typical ‘shampoo, rinse, conditioner, rinse’ method that so many of us have adopted over the years.

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Felicity said it had come to her attention that not everyone knows that when showering, shampoo needs to be applied and rinsed twice rather than once. 

She wrote: “The first time will cleanse the hair of all the oils and product build-up so that when you do it for the second time the shampoo can actually do what it’s intended to do.

“Also, only apply shampoo to the scalp and when you rinse it will run through the middle and the ends. Then only apply conditioner to the middle and ends of your hair, and use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to detangle in the shower while conditioner is on.

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“And lastly remember to only wash your hair 2-3 times a week because too much washing can cause more build-up and damage to the hair.”

Of course, Twitter users couldn’t believe what they were hearing and, upon trying the method for themselves, were incredibly grateful for Felicity and her wisdom. One person wrote: “My hair honestly feels better now! I can’t believe what a difference that made – or that I’m 26 and just finally learned the right way to wash my hair from a Tweet.”

Another commented: “So I saw this yesterday and decided to try your 2x shampoo advice when I washed my hair tonight… Omg THANK YOU!”

Who else is trying out the method tonight?