Political news

• Birmingham Leads Surge Among Fast-Growing Midlands And Northern Cities

  07-11-2017 23:37
  The economic divide between the south of England and the Midlands and north appears to be gradually closing as a report signalled once struggling cities were the most improved places to live and work in the UK.An analysis by accountant PwC and thinktank Demos ranks Birmingham as the most rapidly-improving city in the country, and places Leeds, Newcastle, Derby and Liverpool among the top ten places on the up.While Birmingham still ranked 32nd overall in the annual study, the report noted how the
  
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• Birmingham Leads Economic Surge Among Midlands And Northern Cities

  07-11-2017 23:37
  The economic divide between the south of England and the Midlands and north appears to be gradually closing as a report signalled once struggling cities were the most improved places to live and work in the UK.An analysis by accountant PwC and thinktank Demos ranks Birmingham as the most rapidly-improving city in the country, and places Leeds, Newcastle, Derby and Liverpool among the top ten places on the up.While Birmingham still ranked 32nd overall in the annual study, the report noted how the
  
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• Twitter Doubles Tweet Limit To 280 Characters As Users Demand Edit Button

  07-11-2017 22:42
  When Twitter announced in September it was ending its iconic 140-character limit, some people were less than impressed.The roll out has been gradual but this week nearly everyone should have the new 280-character limit for their tweets.However, many users are a bit overwhelmed by their new extended character limit.people checking their TL after the #280characters update... pic.twitter.com/Cyfem0UoAL— smart boy (@urbanskurge) November 7, 2017This new #280characters is like eating your
  
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• Twitter Doubles Character Limit To 280 For Just About Everyone

  07-11-2017 22:42
  Twitter says it’s ending its iconic 140-character limit - and giving nearly everyone 280 characters.Users tweeting in Chinese, Japanese and Korean will still have the original limit. That’s because writing in those languages uses fewer characters.The company says 9 percent of tweets written in English hit the 140-character limit. People end up spending more time editing tweets or don’t send them out at all.Twitter hopes that the expanded limit will get more people tweeting more
  
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• Pregnant Duchess Of Cambridge Wears Diane Von Furstenburg Gown For Anna Freud Centre Charity Gala

  07-11-2017 22:23
  The Duchess of Cambridge wore a black lace Diane von Furstenberg dress while attending a gala in Kensington Palace in support of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFNCCF).The Duchess previously wore this gown while pregnant with Princess Charlotte, almost exactly three years ago on 13 November 2014.At the gala dinner held in The Orangery at Kensington Palace on Tuesday 7 November, the Duchess accessorised her look with a pair of statement earrings
  
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• Wall Street warns Trump team of Brexit ‘point of no return’

  07-11-2017 22:00 via ft.com
  High-level meetings hear lack of clarity threatens thousands of UK financial jobs
  
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• Wall St warns Trump team of Brexit ‘point of no return’

  07-11-2017 22:00 via ft.com
  High-level meetings hear lack of clarity threatens thousands of UK financial jobs
  
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• Duchess Of Cambridge Discusses Children's Mental Health At Charity Gala

  07-11-2017 21:59
  The Duchess of Cambridge met with children who have been supported by a mental health charity, of which she is a patron.Kate attended the 2017 Gala Dinner for the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFNCCF), held in The Orangery at Kensington Palace on Tuesday 7 November, where she chatted with families.Delighted to have our patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge showing her support for our new Centre of Excellencehttps://t.co/s7QEFYY8E8pic.twitter.com/9IZSjnM9W0—
  
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• Brexit minister Steve Baker attacked over Brexit impact study 'delay'

  07-11-2017 21:59 via bbc.co.uk
  A minister is accused of contempt of Parliament for refusing to publish Brexit impact studies now.
  
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• Boris Johnson sorry if Zaghari-Ratcliffe remarks 'caused anxiety'

  07-11-2017 21:03 via bbc.co.uk
  The foreign secretary says remarks about a British-Iranian woman held in Iran "could have been clearer".
  
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• RHI scandal 'struck at the heart of NI democracy'

  07-11-2017 20:51 via bbc.co.uk
  Opening remarks are being made at an inquiry into a botched energy scheme that helped collapse Stormont.
  
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• Paradise Papers Leak: Prince Charles Becomes Latest Wealthy Person To Be Dragged In To Tax Havens Scandal

  07-11-2017 20:23
  Prince Charles’s private estate has allegedly invested millions of pounds in offshore funds and companies, the latest Paradise Papers leak has revealed.The Prince of Wales also allegedly campaigned to alter climate change agreements without disclosing his private estate had a financial interest in such a rule change, according to BBC Panorama.The latest accusations on Tuesday come after it was revealed that the Queen’s private estate invested in controversial retailer BrightHous
  
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• Brexit: EU warns UK it has less than a month to make concessions

  07-11-2017 20:01
  Senior officials in Brussels say EU unlikely to agree to trade talks in December unless the UK offers more on Brexit divorce settlementThe British government has less than a month to make a concession on the Brexit bill in order to guarantee launching trade talks in December, the Guardian understands.
  Senior officials in Brussels say talks have stalled since Theresa May’s Florence speech and warn the EU will find it difficult to agree to trade talks at a December summit unless the prime mi
  
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• Edward Enninful's First Vogue Cover Features Adwoa Aboah

  07-11-2017 20:00
  There’s been a flurry of forecasting regarding Edward Enninful’s first cover for British Vogue and the wait since Alexandra Schulman’s departure from the publication has been torture for many.And finally the wait is over.Behold, Enninful’s first cover as the new editor-in-chief.The chosen cover star is none other than Adwoa Aboah.Photographed by Steven Meisel, the 25-year-old model and activist looks striking in bold makeup, statement jewellery and a c
  
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• Paradise Papers: Prince Charles Becomes Latest Wealthy Person To Be Dragged In To Tax Havens Scandal

  07-11-2017 19:57
  Prince Charles’s private estate has allegedly invested millions of pounds in offshore funds and companies, the latest Paradise Papers leak has revealed.The Prince of Wales also allegedly campaigned to alter climate change agreements without disclosing his private estate had a financial interest in such a rule change, according to BBC Panorama.The latest accusations on Tuesday come after it was revealed that the Queen’s private estate invested in controversial retailer BrightHous
  
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• Thousands Of Children Living In 'Dickensian Conditions' In Hidden Temporary Accommodation Epidemic

  07-11-2017 19:46
  It is an “abuse of human rights” that in the sixth richest economy thousands of people are living in “Dickensian conditions”, David Lammy has said.An astonishing 78,180 households are living in temporary accommodation (TA), such as hostels and BnBs, and that means 120,170 children do not have a permanent home, MPs heard during a debate in Parliament on the “hidden” epidemic.The Tottenham Labour MP hit out at the dearth of social homes in the country and voiced
  
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• Brexit: Ministers publish post-EU trade legislation

  07-11-2017 19:42 via bbc.co.uk
  The Trade Bill is aimed at helping UK continue to access EU agreements and seek remedies in disputes.
  
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• Brexit Britain’s slapdash approach to foreign policy

  07-11-2017 19:26 via ft.com
  Theresa May is struggling to bring her undisciplined cabinet into line
  
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• May Told to Pay Up After Historic Vote By Own Workers

  07-11-2017 19:04
  In a historic vote PCS members have sent a resounding message to Theresa May and her government.An unprecedented majority (99%) of our union's public sector members voting in a national ballot want an end to the pay cap. With 80% prepared to take industrial action if the government refuses to listen, our message to the Prime Minister couldn't be clearer. It tells her to scrap the pay cap and to fund a proper pay rise for all public sector workers - now!Our ballot between 9 October and 6 November
  
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• Priti Patel Did Not Tell Theresa May She Promised UK Money To The Israeli Army

  07-11-2017 18:56
  Under fire Cabinet Minister Priti Patel did not tell Theresa May she had offered UK money to the Israeli army during secret meetings in Middle East, Downing Street revealed today.The International Development Secretary made the suggestion during a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister in August as she met with Benjamin Netanyahu without Downing Street’s knowledge.However, despite yesterday giving May a full update of all 12 meetings she had with officials during her ‘holiday&rsq
  
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• Scotland issues apology for gay convictions

  07-11-2017 18:54 via ft.com
  ‘The wrong has been committed by the state, not by the individuals,’ says Nicola Sturgeon
  
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• Cabinet chaos exposes Theresa May’s waning power

  07-11-2017 18:28 via ft.com
  Each week ministers appear to seek new ways to expose PM’s weakness
  
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• After A Year Of The Trump Show, The US Is As Stupefied And Transfixed As Ever

  07-11-2017 18:24
  In the small hours of November 8 2016, in a state of some bewilderment, I wrote a piece on the result of the US election titled: "After poisoning and dividing America, Donald Trump has won an ugly victory." And come his inauguration on January 20, I asked how to make sense of the Trump era. A year after he won the election, I'm still struggling - and so is nearly everyone else.Like his campaign, Trump's presidency is a reality show, one driven by disruption and distraction. As a political specta
  
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• Damian Green and Bob Quick quizzed by Cabinet Office inquiry

  07-11-2017 18:23 via bbc.co.uk
  Damian Green denies allegations about his conduct and that pornography was found on his office computer.
  
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• Priti Patel proposed UK aid for Israeli army on secret trip

  07-11-2017 18:16 via ft.com
  Calls for minister to resign after revelations over ‘family holiday’
  
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• Forget Your To-Do List - Create A To Be List

  07-11-2017 18:07
  I will show you mine if you show me yours. But whatever your size I just know mine is bigger.The to-do list is the backbone of our day, a stick to beat our cellulite with and barometer of busyness, importance and procrastination.Yes avoidance. Can't just be me who has the same names and same chores un-actioned and avoided with intent which appear on the list every day? Sometimes for weeks. Then these people uncalled or un-emailed, the tasks un-touched develop their own sort of dread power that h
  
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• This Week's Train Strikes Are About Passenger Safety And Accessibility, Pure And Simple

  07-11-2017 18:06
  RMT has confirmed strike action in separate disputes with train operating companies across the country including Southern, Greater Anglia, South Western Railways and Island Line, Northern and Merseyrail over attacks on the role of the safety-critical guard and the extension of Driver Only Operation in the name of increased profits.These strikes are about rail safety and accessibility, pure and simple. Only this week at the Wimbledon derailment, it was the guard on that train who safely evacuated
  
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• Cancer Took My Singing Voice And The Face I Knew But Music Kept My Soul Alight

  07-11-2017 18:00
  "You have bone cancer - chondrosarcoma." Those words have been with me every day since. Until that point in my life I had been going through my usual daily motions. I had noticed little signs like my right eye appearing bigger than the left, frequent headaches, but nothing that caused me reason to worry about my health.The journey from those words, over 10 years ago to now, is one that has seen me reach the depths of despair before rebuilding my life into something that has a meaning again.I was
  
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• 6 Bisexual People On How Biphobia And Bi-Erasure Impacts Their Lives

  07-11-2017 17:57
  Twitter has been accused of “bi-erasure” and “biphobia”, after photo and video search results for the term ‘bisexual’ and ‘bisexuality’ disappeared.The social media site apologised for what it said was “an error with search results for certain terms” on 5 November, however the apparent block still exists at the time of publication. It’s also worth noting that results for ‘gay’, ‘lesbian’
  
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• How We Took Inspiration For A Children's Book Series From The Hyper-violent 'a Clockwork Orange'

  07-11-2017 17:56
  Anthony Burgess' iconic novel A Clockwork Orange isn't the first place you'd imagine publishers to take inspiration for a children's book. But this is exactly where we found the initial inspiration for our children's book series, with the aim of fostering a love for foreign languages in children.In A Clockwork Orange, words from the fictional Nadsat language are gradually introduced to the reader throughout the narrative, to the point where if you pick up the book and open it on the final page,
  
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• Best Pubs in London For Winter: Grab A Nook And Prepare To Get Cosy

  07-11-2017 17:44
  We’ve had a good moan about how cold it is, and now it’s time to move on with life and embrace winter as it settles in for the long run.That means: fluffy socks, bobble hats and a cosy perch in your favourite pub, preferably by the fire. (If some jammy git hasn’t nabbed the spot first).We asked the HuffPost UK team to tell us their favourite London winter pubs - and boy did they deliver. Now go forth and get merry.
  
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• Lesbian Bridal Magazine Offers A Long-Overdue Alternative For Women In Love

  07-11-2017 17:35
  A lesbian couple has launched an LGBTQ bridal magazine to offer an alternative to the heteronormative wedding publications.Dancing With Her is the first of its kind, offering real-life stories of couples from around the world and advice to fiancées about their upcoming nuptials.Co-founders Tara Baker, 29, and Arlia Hassel, 30, were spurred to launch the print magazine after getting engaged in August this year.The couple, who are from Australia, started looking at wedding magazines, b
  
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• Former Inmate Of Tehran's Evin Prison Says Boris Comments Could Be 'Devastating' To Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

  07-11-2017 17:31
  A journalist who was held in Iran’s infamous Evin prison has said Boris Johnson’s comments about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be “potentially devastating” to the British mother.Dorothy Parvaz, who was incarcerated in Tehran prison in 2011 facing spying charges, which could have seen her executed, told HuffPost UK Zaghari-Ratcliffe “cannot afford” for the foreign secretary to be “quite so careless”.Johnson sparked mass outrage by telling the Hous
  
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• Why You Get Headaches After Sex (And How To Stop Them)

  07-11-2017 17:26
  “I’ve got a headache” may be the cliché excuse associated with telling your partner you’re not in the mood, but for some, sex can actually cause a sore head.If you start to feel your head pounding during or after sex, you could be suffering from “sex headaches”.According to Dr Margaret Redelman, a sexologist writing in the British Journal of Medical Practitioners, sex headaches have been given multiple names throughout medical history, such as HSA (head
  
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• Brexit impact studies to be released within 3 weeks

  07-11-2017 17:01 via ft.com
  Dexeu minister announces go-ahead after government defeat in Commons
  
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• Whole Earth Is Launching A Peanut Butter Fondue Bar And We Are Pumped

  07-11-2017 17:00
  If eating nut butter by the spoonful is your guilty pleasure you’re in for a treat of epic proportions. Popular brand Whole Earth is launching its very first pop-up bar in London, where nut butters will be transformed into glorious fondue. Nut butter lovers can take part in a two hour feasting extravaganza, trying both sweet and savoury fondues from Original Peanut Butter to Chocolate Peanut Butter.On departure, diners will leave with all the info they need to recreate the fondue
  
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• Actress Kristina Cohen Accuses 'Gossip Girl' Star Ed Westwick Of Rape

  07-11-2017 16:59
  Ed Westwick has been accused of raping actress Kristina Cohen three years ago, in a lengthy post shared on her Facebook on Monday (6 November).In the post, Kristina said that she met the ‘Gossip Girl’ actor through her boyfriend at the time, a producer who she did not name, writing that the incident occurred when the couple went over to actor’s house one night.Kristina claimed to have been taken aback when the actor allegedly suggested “we should all fuck”, but
  
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• Woman Uses Balloon And Ping Pong Ball To Explain How Childbirth Works In Easy-To-Follow Video

  07-11-2017 16:55
  If you’re a mum-to-be soon to give birth or are tired of brushing off questions from your kids about the whole shebang, this video could be just what you need.Liz Chalmers, a childbirth educator from Seattle, US, has shared a simple yet accurate demonstration of how birth works using just a balloon and a ball.Chalmers, who said she learned the idea from a class she went to, was filming it for her niece, Charlotte, who was also about to become a childbirth educator. She explains e
  
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• 'Strictly Come Dancing': Kristina Rihanoff Blames Show Producers For Aston Merrygold's Shock Exit

  07-11-2017 16:52
  Kristina Rihanoff has laid into the current series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, following Aston Merrygold’s controversial exit over the weekend.The former ‘Strictly’ pro has admitted she’s underwhelmed by what she’s seen on the show, claiming bosses are favouring “crazy productions” over actual skill. Explaining that she reckons this was responsible for Aston’s shock elimination, Kristina told MailOnline: “The real fault
  
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• WhatsApp Scam Found Offering £250 Vouchers Through Tesco, Asda And M&S

  07-11-2017 16:37
  A new WhatsApp scam is currently doing the rounds that is offering the rather unrealistic prospect of £250 worth of free vouchers from some of our biggest supermarkets.The scam, now picked up by Action Fraud, usually appears in the form of a WhatsApp message from a number that’s disguised as a person you might know.Within the message will be a link that then asks you to enter in personal information which, rather than going to any of the supermarkets in question, goes straight to cyb
  
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• Transport For London To Slash Up To 1,400 Jobs 'Due To Spending Cuts', RMT Union Says

  07-11-2017 16:20
  Up to 1,400 job losses are planned at Transport for London because of spending cuts, the RMT union has said.The union said that the roles include engineering and jobs on the London Underground, the Press Association reports.The union said that the figure emerged at a meeting between union leaders and TfL on Tuesday, with the RMT allegedly saying that spending will be cut by £5.5 billion by 2021.Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “All the Tube and TfL unions have been sent writte
  
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• Boris Johnson Savaged By Emily Thornberry And Yvette Cooper Over His Iran Blunder

  07-11-2017 16:20
  Boris Johnson has been savaged by Labour’s Emily Thornberry and Yvette Cooper for a diplomatic blunder that risks extending a jail term for a British woman arrested in Iran.Amid shouts of “resign!”, the Foreign Secretary also came under heavy attack from Tory MPs such as Anna Soubry after he refused to apologise for his remarks about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.Johnson admitted “I could have been clearer” when he claimed last week that Zaghhari-Ratcliffe had been trai
  
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• Anti-Brexit MPs React With Fury As Tory Minister Questions Their Loyalty

  07-11-2017 16:17
  Furious MPs hit back at Tory claims there were on the “side” of the EU for demanding the Government release secret economic studies on Brexit.Brexit Minister Steve Baker said the public would be questioning “whose side are they on?” as a series of MPs called on the Government to honour its commitment to release the papers during an urgent debate in the Commons this afternoon.The accusation was repeated by fellow Tory MP Desmond Swayne as he defended the Government’s
  
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• Telling My Boss I'm Disabled Should Be About Getting What I Need To Do The Job I Love

  07-11-2017 16:08
  I'm a junior doctor and I'm on the training track where you change role every four months. I'm currently in a GP practice but previously I've been in various hospitals.The change every four months is stressful and very challenging, because it's new people who don't know you, don't know why you're in a wheelchair, and are desperate to ask.Normally the training is two years, but I'm doing it part time. It's a very strict criteria and a big process to initially apply. Then every four months I must
  
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• Priti Patel Told Undisclosed Meetings In Israel A 'Resigning Matter'

  07-11-2017 15:53
  Priti Patel has been told her decision not to tell Theresa May she had met with Israeli politicians including Benjamin Netanyahu is a “resigning matter”.The international development secretary was forced to apologise on Monday after she held 12 undisclosed meetings while on holiday in August.She was also reprimanded by Downing Street for suggesting the Foreign Office was aware of the meetings before they took place even though it was not.On Tuesday No.10 confirmed Patel had suggested
  
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• Former Welsh minister found dead after sexual misconduct claims

  07-11-2017 15:43 via ft.com
  Death of Carl Sargeant not being treated as suspicious by police
  
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• POWERful Women: Bridging The Energy/Gender Divide

  07-11-2017 15:38
  The UK energy industry is staring down the barrel of an endemic gender imbalance - especially at a senior management and executive levels.So what has led us to this imbalance? And how can we learn from the past to effect real change?It has struck me over the past decade that senior managers across the energy sector have tended to be engineers and have all tended to think about energy supply only in terms of the technology. They considered the meters, and not the people behind the meters.I have a
  
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• Travel Eye: A Wonderful Zambia Safari

  07-11-2017 15:35
  So here we are, gliding down the Zambezi River in a small safari boat. I take a deep breath, letting my eyes fill with the beautiful colours of an African sunset and my lungs with fresh air.Ahead of us, a hippopotamus dips under the water creating a ripple of bubbles. In the distance, we spot a family of elephants slowly crossing the river. Their trunks occasionally lifting in the air to act like snorkels, each following the one before in a careful line. Once safely on the other side, they graze
  
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• Luxe Thai Wellness Retreats, For A Winter Sun Re-boot

  07-11-2017 15:23
  Boasting some of the best wellness retreats in Asia - with temperatures averaging between the high twenties and low thirties in November and December, Thailand provides an idyllic winter wellness haven...
  Kamalaya
  Photograph courtesy of Kamalaya.Venture to Koh Samui - Thailand's second biggest island - and head to the award-winning Kamalaya. The name is derived from the words 'lotus realm' (kamal alaya), which is an ancient symbol for human spirit growth, and the wellness sanctuary itself is cen
  
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• Forget The John Lewis Ad, Aldi's Kevin The Carrot Is Back And Looking For Lurrrve

  07-11-2017 15:18
  Everyone’s favourite carrot is back on TV - and this time, he’s getting his flirt on.Aldi’s Christmas advert makes its debut on ITV tonight starring the oh-so-adventurous Kevin the carrot.If you need a refresh, Kev starred in last year’s advert as he tried to make his way across the dinner table to where Santa’s mince pies were. When he arrived there, he had a quick nap and ended up dangling off a reindeer’s antler, propelling Santa’s sleigh through the
  
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