As far as fashion stalwarts that stand the test of time go, beautifully crafted handbags are a common favorite — as are classically tailored overcoats and cashmere separates. For some people, it’s a good pair of shoes, particularly handmade, hand-stitched, buttery-soft ballet flats. After spending far too much time over the past year perusing the upcoming season’s selection of fine footwear, it’s clear to us that ballet flats have a whole new look. Balletcore is where it's at. Where once there were only leather options in neutral shades, now there are radiant hues, dazzling embellishments, and funky straps...and we are here for it.

LEUVEN, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 30, 2023--

Gwyneth Paltrow has tried and tested Brad Pitt's Le Domaine Skincare line and given her verdict.

A Texas judge issued an order late Friday temporarily barring the state from enforcing its ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy in cases where a patient's life or health could be endangered by an "emergent medical condition."

Homeowners may be reconsidering their remodeling plans this year because of the economy’s recent turbulence, but planning and prioritizing can help you accomplish projects with confidence

Dutch airline KLM warned that proposals from the Dutch parliament’s lower house to tax transfer passengers will be

For those who don’t want to check into a hotel, there is a budget-friendly alternative: the aparthotel. Long seen as the boring but functional alternative to traditional hotels for business travellers, stylish versions more akin to boutique boltholes have been popping up all over the country in recent years. They come with their own private kitchens, and sometimes even a lounge, which will provide couples and even families with much-needed space in which to relax. Unlike cottages or Airbnbs, there’s generally much better availability, flexibility and facilities, just like hotels. We’re talking everything from gyms and spas to bars and collaborative workspaces. So, if you’re someone who takes the phrase “a home away from home” seriously and are looking for the best of both worlds, we’ve found some of the best options to check in to around England. The best aparthotels in the UK are: Best aparthotel for a workation: Your Apartment Clifton Village Best aparthotel for gin-lovers: Kingsland Locke Best aparthotel for gym buffs: Native Manchester Best aparthotel for waterfront views: Staybridge Suites Best aparthotel for relaxation: Hiding Space Westgate Apartments Best spa aparthotel: Captain’s Club Hotel & Spa, Christchurch Best aparthotel for home cooking: Hyatt House Manchester Best aparthotel for city stays: STAY Camden Best aparthotel for a workation: Your Apartment Clifton Village Location: Clifton, Bristol This Your Apartment’s outpost is in the heart of leafy Clifton Village, where cute coffee shops and gourmet delis are just a stroll away. Each of the 34 studio apartments come with a double or king size bed, kitchenette, dining tables and chairs. Everything is contactless – you can check yourself in via your mobile phone. If you stay for a week or more, for a workation (there’s a co-working space in the building), for example, they’ll even give you a discount. Best aparthotel for gin-lovers: Kingsland Locke Location: Hackney, London Locke has a small empire of design-led aparthotels in London, including the Kingsland Locke in the heart of Dalston. Upstairs, there are 124 apartments, subtly attired in mossy green, each with a full-sized kitchen. But perhaps the best bits are found elsewhere in the building, where, aside from a gym and co-working space, you’ll find KRAFT Dalston, a gin distillery and microbrewery in one. Best aparthotel for gym buffs: Native Manchester Location: Picadilly, Manchester Just two minutes’ walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station, this collection of 166 smart apartments is housed in a warehouse that once stored bales of cotton imported from the US. There are seven different styles of room to choose from, including bijoux studios all the way up to a two-bed penthouse duplex. Every apartment has its own fully equipped kitchen, lounge space and king-size beds. There’s plenty to keep you busy in the building, including a restaurant, cinema and even a studio offering fitness classes. Best aparthotel for waterfront views: Staybridge Suites Liverpool Location: Liverpool A short walk from Tate Liverpool is IHG’s pet-friendly Staybridge Suites. You have the option of two different sized apartments – a smaller studio suite or a one-bedroom suite with a lounge spacious enough for a sofa bed for guests. If you’re in one of the 132 guest suites that offer stunning views of the Royal Albert Dock, you may well be tempted to stay in and enjoy the view. Otherwise, the city’s waterfront bar scene is ready to be soaked up. Oh, and they’ll treat you to breakfast the morning after. Best aparthotel for relaxation: Hiding Space Westgate Apartments Location: Bath Hiding Space has a few boutique-style aparthotels in Bath but the most centrally located is Westgate Apartments, just a few paces from the city’s celebrated Thermae Spa. While perfect for a couple, you also have the option of adding sofa beds to the airy, Scandi-inspired living rooms for bigger groups. There’s no on-site gym or restaurant here, but with the city’s gorgeous, honeyed architecture and vibrant food scene right on the doorstep, you’re unlikely to spend much time indoors. Best spa aparthotel: Captain’s Club Hotel & Spa Location: Christchurch, Dorset Perched on the edge of the River Stour in Christchurch is the Captain’s Club Hotel & Spa, which has a set of 12 self-catering apartments designed for groups. It’s all about the views here – the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge area look out over the river and across to the Hengistbury Head nature reserve. To welcome you to Dorset, a hamper of local treats, including a bottle of the award-winning sparkling wine from nearby English Oak vineyard, awaits. Best aparthotel for home cooking: Hyatt House Manchester Location: Manchester Hyatt House Manchester’s 116 studios and one-bedroom suites sit snugly between the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. The Laureate restaurant and The Graduate bar pay homage to its location but it’s the 18th-floor lounge, with high-flying views of the city, that’s the real star here. Breakfast is included – right now you can order ingredients to cook in your own kitchen or get it ready-made… just like room service. Best aparthotel for city stays: Stay Camden Location: Camden, London Stay Camden is made for workations – downstairs is hip co-working space LABS Collective, while, upstairs, you’ll find 169 apartments ranging from an airy one-bed to a spacious three-bed. Regardless of size, each of the Scandi-inspired apartments offers a fully-kitted kitchen and lounge area as well as a balcony to enjoy the London skyline. Pootle along the towpaths of Regent’s Canal to access the bars and restaurants on Camden High Street. Price: Rates from £270 Book now Read more of our hotel reviews: The best dog-friendly hotels The best affordable London hotels The best cosy UK hotels Read more about UK travel: Explore the Cotswolds, car-free The UK’s best holiday destinations for families Lake District guide: Where to eat, walk and stay Read More The best spa hotels in the UK 2023: Where to go for a relaxing staycation Cheap UK holidays 2023: 10 destinations for a budget staycation World’s best hotels with swimming pools 2023: Where to stay for healing swims, soaks and wildlife spotting The UK’s 10 best quirky hotels 2023: From lighthouses to train stations, make your next stay a unique one Best UK hotels 2023: Where to stay for a luxury or affordable break The best Scotland road trips to travel in your lifetime

Max Verstappen handed his rivals the slimmest of hopes that he could be beaten at Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix after he finished only 11th in practice. The dominant Dutchman, who has won eight of the 10 rounds so far and six in succession to establish a 99-point lead in the standings, has mastered all conditions this season. But Verstappen unusually ended the sole dry running here six tenths back from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris – fresh from his impressive second place at the British Grand Prix – 0.015 seconds adrift of the scarlet car. Lewis Hamilton was 16th with Mercedes team-mate George Russell 20th and last on a topsy-turvy day at the Hungaroring. Despite Verstappen being off the pace, times in practice must be treated with a degree of caution as different setup and fuel loads are trialled. It is also worth noting that a number of the top teams will have held back fresh rubber following the reduction of tyre allocation from 13 sets to 11 here. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez took two wins from the opening four, but the Mexican has been on a torrid run since, and his bad form continued when he crashed out of first practice. The opening one-hour running of the weekend was dry and barely a few minutes old when Perez – on his first lap – lost control of his Red Bull and ended up in the wall. The Mexican put two wheels on the grass under braking for the fifth corner, sending him into a pirouette and into the tyre barrier. Perez was unharmed in the accident but he sustained significant damage to the front of his machine. It also denied the rest of the field any dry running as the heavens opened with the red flags deployed to recover Perez’s wounded machine. The 33-year-old is under increasing pressure at Red Bull following five-consecutive qualifying sessions in which he has failed to make it into Q3. On each of those occasions, Verstappen has scored pole position in the other Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback at Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri is also likely to be playing on Perez’s mind, with the Australian admitting he is daring to dream about the possibility of a return to the grid’s all-conquering team. Perez was able to take part in the day’s concluding action but he locked up and flat-spotted his front-right tyre and could manage only 18th, 1.3 sec slower than Leclerc. Ricciardo, back in the saddle in place of the sacked Nyck De Vries, has a dozen races to prove he still possesses the prowess which carried him to eight wins. He finished 14th in his first outing since last year’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, seven tenths back and 10 places behind his new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Like someone cut my heart out – Claire Williams on sale of father’s F1 team Daniel Ricciardo dreaming of Red Bull return ahead of F1 comeback How does Max Verstappen and Red Bull compare to the greats of Formula One?

Thailand’s pro-democracy parties faced built-in obstacles to forming a government even before a historic win in Sunday’s election.

Fashion lovers can now live out their Devil Wears Prada dream (or “nightmare”), as Vogue is hiring an assistant to none other than Anna Wintour. This week, Vogue publisher Condé Nast posted a job listing for Assistant to the Editor in Chief of American Vogue and Global Chief Content Officer in New York City. Much like Anna Hathaway’s character Andy Sachs in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, Vogue is looking for a candidate to assist with coordinating meetings, managing events and engagements, and overseeing the overall flow of communication and information that comes in and out of Anna Wintour’s office. The ideal candidate is extremely organised, deadline-oriented, and able to multitask in a fast-paced environment. Perhaps knowing the difference between turquoise, lapis, and cerulean wouldn’t hurt, or where to pick up an advanced copy of the seventh Harry Potter book. Minimum requirements include a college education, one to two years of work experience in administrative support, and strong writing skills. The salary range is $60,000 to $80,000. “This is a tremendous opportunity for an ambitious, business-savvy professional who is passionate about culture, fashion, digital media, and content,” the listing reads. Unsurprisingly, the new job listing sparked many comparisons to the beloved movie The Devil Wears Prada, in which Meryl Streep stars as Miranda Priestly – an intimidating magazine editor largely inspired by Anna Wintour. The 2006 film was adapted from a book of the same name by Wintour’s own former assistant, Lauren Weisberger. Since it was posted, many people have shared their reactions to the job listing by posting memes and iconic moments from the film. “A million girls would kill for this job!!!!” tweeted author Matt Ortile, along with a screenshot of the job posting. “Y’all didn’t watch The Devil Wears Prada?” one person asked. “This sounds like a nightmare actually,” another user said. “Does it come with the makeover from Stanley Tucci,” someone else joked. Meanwhile, others couldn’t help but point out the annual job salary, which ranged from $60,000 to $80,000 per year. Some people believed it was too low of a pay day, considering some of the tasks Anne Hathaway’s character had to do for her boss throughout the film, while others felt it was an unsustainable salary for living in New York City – where monthly rent has soared to record-high numbers. “Salary is a f***ing travesty for vogue they should be ashamed,” claimed one user. “u can’t afford to live in nyc based off of this salary alone”. “If Andrea Sachs was actually paid the $80k (and in 2006, no less), I’d understand her sticking with Miranda for so long,” said someone else. Another person wrote: “The salary range on this is *interesting* but speaks to who gets to occupy space in fashion – oftentimes a demo [demographic] who do not need to work for a living. In turn, the way that demo approaches work + their coworkers/office is……” Anna Wintour has served as Vogue editor-in-chief since 1988 and global chief content officer for Condé Nast since 2020. Lauren Weisberger, one of Wintour’s two assistants from 1999 to 2000, wrote the novel The Devil Wears Prada in 2003 based on her experience working at Vogue. However, it seems that the fashion giant has no recollection of the former personal assistant who wrote the famed novel. In Amy Odell’s 2022 book, Anna: The Biography, she claims that Wintour didn’t know which of her assistants could have written the 2003 fiction novel. “On May 21, 2002, Women’s Wear Daily reported that The Devil Wears Prada had sold to Doubleday for a reported $250,000. When Anna learned about the book, she said to [Laurie] Jones, ‘I cannot remember who that girl is,’” writes author Amy Odell. Odell also claimed that a friend of Wintour’s, William Norwich, said she “didn’t really didn’t care” about The Devil Wears Prada, even after it spent six months on The New York Times best-seller list. “‘I don’t think Anna is as interested in the cultural phenomenon that she is as the rest of us are,’ he said. “Anna has said to friends, ‘I’m so bored by me’. This is one reason she doesn’t plan to ever write a memoir. Norwich explained, ‘She doesn’t want to stop working to reflect,’” Odell writes. However, the author noted that Wintour did attend the premiere of the film adaptation dressed in Prada, alongside her daughter, Bee Shaffer. “Anna had a seat at the end of the row and, though she had a habit of dashing out of plays that bored her, watched the whole movie,” Odell wrote. “At one point, Bee turned to her and said, ‘Mom, they really got you.’” Read More ‘Worst one ever’: ‘Art world family’ sparks backlash with personal assistant job ad Anne Hathaway explains why The Devil Wears Prada wouldn’t work today Anne Hathaway responds to her ‘accidental’ Devil Wears Prada outfit at NYFW: ‘It was kind of nuts’ Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes makes British Vogue cover debut aged 82 Miriam Margolyes reveals the secret to her 54-year relationship Edward Enninful reflects on closeted upbringing and finding freedom in fashion

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The EU is moving towards extra tracking and putting cameras on fishing boats to monitor their catches in order to prevent overfishing, under a deal Wednesday that...