Sunday, November 23

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12 Best Christmas hotel stays near London for a weekend break: from Somerset to Amsterdam
1Dec By No Comments
Life Style

12 Best Christmas hotel stays near London for a weekend break: from Somerset to Amsterdam

Whichever week you choose to visit, Amsterdam nails December. Already underway, there’s the Amsterdam Light Festival to make the city sparkle, and mid-month, the brown cafés pouring bock beers are at their cosiest, while on New Year’s Eve the city residents light firecrackers en masse. And in the heart of the chic Nine Streets neighbourhood, The Pulitzer makes the perfect festive base. It is housed in 25 canal houses linked by lifts, passages and a stunning glass-walled courtyard for a truly unique stay. Come the last week of November, the wonderfully eclectic interiors by creative director Jacu Strauss, are given a new pièce de résistance in the form of the courtyard Christmas tree. This year’s was designed by Jenny Packham, adorned with giant pearl ‘earrings’. The perfect place for a fes...
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Rattled driver forced to pull over after snake slithers up leg
1Dec By No Comments
World News

Rattled driver forced to pull over after snake slithers up leg

By Larissa Ham, ABC News Tim from Melbourne Snake Control was contacted, quickly identified the tiger snake (the fourth most venomous snake in the world) and volunteered his services. Photo: Supplied / Victoria Police A woman was driving along the Monash Freeway on Saturday morning when she felt a snake slithering up her leg. She weaved through traffic, pulled over to the side of the freeway, and leapt out of her car to safety. The shaken driver was taken to the hospital for observation, and the snake was released "well away from houses, people and pets". You might have heard of the movie Snakes on a Plane. But what happens if you're driving down a busy city freeway, and you suddenly, terrifyingly, feel a tiger snake slithering up your leg? That was the case for a woman on Melbour...
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‘Deep State corruption’ in the sights of Trump’s FBI director pick Kash Patel | US News
1Dec By Aditi PawarNo Comments
Business

‘Deep State corruption’ in the sights of Trump’s FBI director pick Kash Patel | US News

Donald Trump promised retribution on the campaign trail and his nomination of ultra-loyalist Kash Patel to FBI director is a sure-fire sign that he plans to deliver on it.That bodes ill for a huge cast of characters, across the US's top law enforcement agency and the Department of Justice, who have sought to investigate the president-elect on a litany of criminal charges, now dropped or on hold due to the impermissibility of prosecuting a sitting president. "Government gangsters" is how the 40-year-old Patel has termed them, the name of a book he's written on what he perceives to be Deep State corruption at the heart of the agency he'll be tasked with running and beyond.Read more:Trump hands out top jobs - here's who is in and who is out"We will go out and find the conspirators. Not just i...
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Starmer’s next first-time challenge is a test of his worldview – but he’s quietly building a reliable team | Politics News
1Dec By Aditi PawarNo Comments
Business

Starmer’s next first-time challenge is a test of his worldview – but he’s quietly building a reliable team | Politics News

Sir Keir Starmer faces another first-time challenge this week.Still just months into the job, the prime minister will be delivering his first speech to the annual Lord Mayor's Banquet in the City of London on Monday. It will be a rare chance to see the Labour leader in white tie and tailcoat in the glistening historical setting of Guildhall, surrounded by the rich and powerful. Unless of course, Sir Keir follows his Labour predecessor Gordon Brown and tries to dress down. Image: Gordon Brown speaking at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at Mansion House in London in 2007. Pic: Reuters Sir Keir is bound to dwell on the economy, the poor inheritance he believes he has received from the Conservatives, and his determination to stay the ...
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‘Warning lights are indeed flashing’ – What will Putin do next?
1Dec By No Comments
World News

‘Warning lights are indeed flashing’ – What will Putin do next?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: AFP It has been more than 1000 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, and there seems to be no end in sight. This week, Russian president Vladimir Putin levelled threats against Kyiv with a new ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik. With neither Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seemingly prepared to give up their position, expect both to hold firm ahead of potential peace talks, according to veteran war correspondent Mike Eckel. "I think what's happening right now from all sides, being it the Americans, the Europeans, the Ukrainians, and for Russia, there is a jockeying for positioning on the negotiation table," he told Sunday Morning. "People are setting out their chips, trying to see where they...
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Syria’s president vows to defeat ‘terrorists’ as US calls for ‘de-escalation’ | World News
1Dec By Aditi PawarNo Comments
Business

Syria’s president vows to defeat ‘terrorists’ as US calls for ‘de-escalation’ | World News

Syria's president has said his country will "defend its stability and territorial integrity" after rebels reportedly took control of most of the country's second-largest city Aleppo.In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, Bashar al Assad said the regime would defeat the "terrorists and their supporters". In comments released by the state news agency, he added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify.Read more:Rebels 'take control' of airport and seize most of Syria's second cityA setback for the regime, or the start of a major escalation?On Saturday thousands of insurgents took over most of Aleppo, controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government...
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Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, Russia strikes in support of Assad
1Dec By No Comments
World News

Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, Russia strikes in support of Assad

Anti-government fighters celebrate in a street in Maaret al-Numan in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on November 30, 2024. Photo: ABDULAZIZ KETAZ By Tom Perry and David Brunnstrom, Reuters The Syrian army have said dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack led by Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country's army, Russian news agencies reported. The strikes followed what was the boldest rebel assault for years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, once known as the Nusra Front, i...
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PM2.5 exposure may lead to adverse birth outcomes for pregnant women: Study
1Dec By No Comments
Health

PM2.5 exposure may lead to adverse birth outcomes for pregnant women: Study

Pregnant women’s exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) may alter immune responses, leading to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study. While previous research linked PM2.5 exposure to maternal and child health complications including preeclampsia, low birth weight, and developmental delays in early childhood, the new study, published in Science Advances, is the first to examine the relationship between PM2.5 and maternal and foetal health. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health focused on understanding air pollutants` impact on a single-cell level. Kari Nadeau, Professor of Climate and Population Studies at the varsity said that the findings showcase “a substantial step forward in understanding the biological pathways by which PM2.5 exposure a...
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Donald Trump plans to appoint son-in-law’s dad as ambassador to France | US News
1Dec By Aditi PawarNo Comments
Business

Donald Trump plans to appoint son-in-law’s dad as ambassador to France | US News

Donald Trump is set to make another controversial addition to his top team after saying he wants convicted tax evader Charles Kushner to serve as ambassador to France.The president-elect made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Mr Kushner "a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker". The real estate developer is the father of Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.Read more:Trump hands out top jobs - here's who is in and who is outMr Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Mr Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Mr Kushner was pardoned by Mr Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.Prosecutors all...
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Trump picks former National Security official Kash Patel to head FBI
1Dec By No Comments
World News

Trump picks former National Security official Kash Patel to head FBI

By Sarah N. Lynch, Reuters Former chief of staff to the US secretary of defence Kash Patel speaking during a campaign rally for US Republican president-elect Donald Trump. Photo: AFP / REBECCA NOBLE Republican president-elect Donald Trump said he wanted former National Security official and firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signalling an intent to drive out the bureau's current director, Christopher Wray. Republican President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday local time he wanted former National Security official and loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signaling an intent to drive out the bureau's current director, Christopher Wray. Patel, who during Trump's first term advised both the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense, has previously call...
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