The WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party is the most glamourous night in tennis, with the sport’s biggest stars dressing up to the nines to celebrate ahead of the year’s third Grand Slam event and Kiran Rai gets the inside story!
See more: All the latest from the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party
This year saw some bold looks parade down the purple carpet, but which WTA star wore the best outfit? Check out this video of the 10 best dressed WTA stars and vote for your favorite look below Some of the biggest names in tennis will hit the purple carpet outside Kensington Roof Gardens for the glitzy bash.
For the first time, arrivals will be live streamed on the official Women’s Tennis Association Twitter account. Heather Watson, Johanna Konta and Laura Robson are among the sporting stars expected to attend.
Other stars expected to attend tonight’s event, which will be serving up a limited edition Häagen-Dazs strawberries and cream ice-cream, include Roxie Nafousi, Holly Branson and TOWIE’s Georgia Toffolo.
Take advantage of great savings on a summer of fun with Merlin. There has never been a better time to start planning your family’s summer adventures.
Enjoy access to 32 top attractions across the UK with a Merlin Annual Pass which is now available for the fantastic price of just £119 per person during the big summer sale!
Keep the whole family entertained and excited on an escape to Alton Towers Resort, home to some of the world’s most iconic rollercoasters. In tots’ favourite CBeebies Land, new additions for 2017 include a live and interactive show hosted by the fuzzy puppets from The Furchester Hotel and the Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom ride, which little thrill seekers will love.
What’s more, families can extend their trip with a stay at the all new CBeebies Hotel! Go in search of the wart-nosed woodland dweller, The Gruffalo, at Chessington World of Adventures Resort and seek out the popular children’s character on the all new Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, a twisting and turning lazy river tour that will excite all ages!
At sea Life Centres across the UK, future marine biologists can explore the wonders of the ocean and come face to flipper, fin and tentacle with Gentoo penguins, giant sea turtles, sharks, rays and octopuses.
Start your ninja training at the all new LEGO NINJAGO World at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort. What’s not to love? An awesome year awaits Merlin Annual Pass holders with visits to the UK’s biggest and best attractions for a year of unstoppable fun.
Make awesome memories together and say goodbye to grumpy and hello to awesome at the Coca-Cola London Eye, THORPE PARK Resort, Dream Works Tours Shrek’s Adventure! London, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Alton Towers Resort, the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, SEA LIFE Centres across the UK and many many more.
Special benefits and discounts will also be unlocked. The big summer sale starts at 10am on Thursday 1st June and will be ending at midnight on Monday 3rd July 2017.
Merlin Entertainments Place is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates more than 100 attractions, 12 hotels/4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents.
The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and c26,000 employees (peak season).
Among Merlin’s attractions are – Sea Life, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The Coca-Cola London Eye, The Dungeons, Gardaland Resort, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park Resort, Blackpool Tower, Heide Park Resort, Sydney Tower Eye and Skywalk. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future.
Yesterday night, 8th February, MPs in Westminster discussed the Brexit Bill. With 494 votes against 122, the Bill allowing Brexit to begin has been approved by the House of Commons. It will now pass on to the House of Lords, entitled to make the final decision. Since the majority of votes has been overwhelming, the Bill can be passed to the House of Lords without any amendment.
Clive Lewis, Shadow Business Secretary, has been one of the 52 Labour MPs who decided not to follow their party’s orders and vote for the Bill instead. As soon as he voted, he resigned as Shadow Secretary, declaring that he could not vote against something he thinks can benefit the country.
If the Bill is approved by the House of Lords, the PM Theresa May will try and trigger the negotiations to take the UK outside of the EU by the end of March.
Moreover, MPs have rejected a Bill to guarantee EU citizens living in the UK permanent residency. With 332 against 290 votes, the Bill did not pass. Among the MPs who voted for it to pass, three (Ken Clarke, Andrew Tyrie and Tania Matthias) are Tories.
Dick Newby, Leader of Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, said respecting and protecting the rights of EU citizens is among the priorities of his party. He said he is sure Labour Party MPs will support his party when the House of Lords will have to vote for the final Bill.
During the debate, before the vote, the former Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey said the Home Secreary, Amber Rudd, has reassured the Conservative MPs about the status of EU citizens after Brexit. In a letter, he has indeed written that it can change only once the UK leaves the EU. He also said that there will be a new immigration bill: nothing can change for both EU citizens already living in the UK and for those moving now without parliament’s approval.
A spokesman of the prime minister, however, has added that defending the rights of EU citizens living in the UK will also be one of the priorities Theresa May wants to keep in mind while negotiating the exit.
According to Vaizey, who backed Remain during the EU referendum, negotiations will be tough and, he said, MPs who backed Brexit need to reassure EU citizens that their rights will be respected.
Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP, who voted for the amendment, said the refusal of Theresa May to guarantee EU citizens’ rights already now is “immoral”. “What we are talking about are people’s lives. People’s lives are not to be traded as part of some wider deal,” she said.
David Jones, Brexit Minister, said the status of EU citizens will be central in discussing Brexit’s terms, but that it will be wholly defined only once the negotiations to take the UK outside of the EU actually start.
After only 10 days at the White House in Washington, Donald Trump, the 45th president of United States of America, has raised a lot of controversies around himself and his policy-making. These led to a big discussion not only in America, but all over the world. His latest policies, indeed, have revolutionised a lot of aspects Barack Obama had worked for many years on: from the economy to the environment, from health to immigration.
Trump, indeed, has created a ban, forbidding people from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan to enter America. This ban has now a validity of 90 days, but it may be prolonged for even more. This decision has soon created outrage among the population and many have protested in all parts of the world against it.
The UK, in particular, also following Theresa May’s visit to president Trump in Washington, has reacted strongly to the new policy he has imposed. Almost two million citizens, as well as politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, and Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, signed a petition asking the government to prevent Donald Trump from visiting the country if he does not cancel the ban. Since, in the UK, once a petition hits more than 100.000 signatures it is considered for discussion in parliament, the MPs are getting ready to debate it next 20th February in the House of Commons.
Despite this, Theresa May has declared that she wants to keep that “Special Relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States of America, which has existed since Winston Churchill was Prime Minister.
Yesterday night, 30th January 2017, thousands of people gathered in Whitehall to march against the ban imposed by Trump and against his visit to the UK. The protesters marched in front of Downing Street, where the office of the Prime Minister is. Among the main signs they carried, some are worth looking at: “Dump Trump”, “God Save The Queen”, “Oi! May? Trump? No way!”, “Special Relationship? I want a divorce”, “This is only day 10 of 1460”, “Build love, not walls”.
Despite the hard situation, some people in Westminster say they believe the relationship between May and Trump may be a successful one. In the meantime, Trump has fired Sally Yates, the American attorney general, after she said that the ban the president imposed is unlawful. This, however, seems only the beginning of a sequence of events which will make the world discuss a lot. The centre of the debate is now the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States of America: will it still be special or will it become more difficult?
Sir Ivan Rogers, UK’s ambassador to the EU, has stepped down amid Brexit procedures.
He announced the news on Tuesday, blowing up critiques and celebrations in the House of Parliament.
Lord Mandelson, the former EU trade commissioner, and Nicholas Macpherson, the former treasury chief, considered his resignation as a “serious loss” for the UK, especially during the beginning of negotiations with Europe. Sir Rogers conducted, under David Cameron’s government, the renegotiation with EU before Brexit and he is described as the most experienced diplomat in the Whitehall. As a result, for most of the MPs and senior officials his departure is not a good thing.
On the other hand, this news has highlighted new and positive intentions for the pro-Brexit political side: the former ambassador was seen as a pessimistic image by the pro-Brexiteers. In fact, Nigel Farage recommended: “I think it would be appropriate if a lot more people in that position, British ambassadors, left. The world has changed. The political establishment in this country and the diplomatic service just doesn’t accept the vote.”
When the ambassador revealed the 10 years process to negotiate a free-trade deal with Europe, he received critiques by the Eurosceptics, who are now willing to welcome an optimistic image capable to lead the UK towards a great future.
Regarding Rogers’ discharge and replacement, Nigel Farage added: “She (Theresa May) should welcome it with open arms and put a firm Brexiteer in the position. Somebody who recognises that the world has changed, somebody tough, so we can get on with Brexit.”
In the meantime, concerns have affected both political sides: if the triggering of the article 50 starts by the end of March, as it wishes, the next ambassador should be elected as soon as possible. However a source from the Whitehall declared that: “It (Rogers’ departure) won’t affect any of the article 50 timetable at all.”
At the moment, comments and concerns are the only sources covering the English press; recommendations and news about the new ambassador have not been revealed yet.
Monique Hawkins, a Dutch woman, received a letter from the Home Office stating that she had to leave the UK: her application for permanent residency was rejected because the copy of her passport she sent was declared invalid.
“As you appear to have no alternative basis of stay in the United Kingdom you should now make arrangements to leave,” the letter said.
The woman declared she could not submit the original copy of her document, as she needed it to travel to Netherlands after her father’s death. She also added that before the submission, a solicitor signed the disapproved copy, in order to make it legally acceptable and in order to justify the temporary absence of the original copy.
After the rejection, the woman called the Home Office to sort the problem out, but the employees said they did not want to discuss her case personally.
Furthermore, her complaint was dismissed also because it was declared invalid according the guidelines of the Home Office.
Mrs Hawkins has lived in the UK for 24 years, she got a degree in Maths at Cambridge University and even though she married an Englishman, today she is facing this situation. Regarding the marriage between UK and EU citizens, her husband stated: “As a British citizen, I had the expectation that marrying someone from abroad would automatically give them the right to become a British citizen.”
This news has increased her fears born because of Brexit. What seemed to be a sign of hope turned into a nightmare.
On the other hand, the Hawkins’ case is not the only one, as others have been registered recently. Many of the 3 million EU citizens living in the UK have applied for permanent residency in order to guarantee their rights are respected after Brexit. The English press reported that many have received erroneous rejections because of paperwork issues.
In fact, the Hawkins’ case has now urged to set up a campaign group – representative of the EU citizens living in the UK – which is requiring a reform of the Home Office’s procedures for permanent residency. One of the answers is going back to the 1980s or 1990s, when the workers contacted the applicants if any problem was registered. This seems to be the first hypothetical solution to the rejection of the requests for residency. It is considered human and useful to get through immigrants’ applications quicker.
HOME OFFICE’s responsibilities:
– Securing the UK border and controlling immigration;
– Working on the problems caused by illegal drug use;
– Keeping the United Kingdom safe from the threat of terrorism;
– Considering applications to enter and stay in the UK;
Interview by Valentina Celi, Article by Ilaria Edja Gallo
Interview with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health.
Last night, Wednesday 28th September, from 6pm to midnight at Le Meridien Piccadilly, we celebrated Italian food, drink and culture. The event has been organised by CLWCA conservative Italian Group 2016 in collaboration with APCI UK, the Association of Italian Professional Chefs in the UK.
Many prominent political guests, such as Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health, Mark Field MP, Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, Alberto Costa MP, South Leicestershire, Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston and Dr Tania Mathias MP for Twickenham attended this amazing and successful event together with 450 guests.
Zac Goldsmith, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTVJeremy Hunt, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTV
The celebration has been accompanied by the amazing entertainment given by the acclaimed Italian tenor Yuri Sabatini and Giuseppe Mauriello, Laura Araldo, the guitarist Domenico Ranieri and The Tony P Riccio Trio.
LondonONEradio managed to question Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health about the importance of the mediterranean diet:
Do you think it is important to support the mediterranean diet and to promote it in the UK?
Absolutely, because we now have a huge amount of evidence that mediterranean diet is less salt, less red meat, more fish, olive oil instead of butter and this reduces cholesterol and therefore it reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, even things like Alzheimer and dementia. So it’s the best way of eating healthily and it’s also delicious. So most of this diet you go on, you have to deny yourself the best things, but actually the mediterranean diet is healthy and delicious so we would love more people to be on the mediterranean diet.
What is your plan of action about obesity? We know that in the past few years Uk developed and faced severe problems linked to obesity.
Well, we have the second largest problem with obesity in the whole of Europe, and we are very worried particularly for children who spend a lot of time behind computers, not as much time as they used to out and about playing. So we have a big plan to change it: we want to get children more active, we want to encourage manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their food as there’s a lot of sugar in things like frozen pizzas, and actually you can reduce the sugar and not affect the taste. So we want to encourage people, encourage the manufacturers to do that, but we also need to promote understanding among consumers about an healthy diet and certainly mediterranean diet is a big part of that.
So is it possible to say that embracing the mediterranean diet would be the “best thing” for the UK population?
I think that we have to be careful because in this country people don’t like politicians telling them what to eat, so probably if you want to promote a mediterranean diet it’s not helpful to have Jeremy Hunt telling everyone to eat it. But I think you do the best job marketing it yourself. I mean the quality of Italian food that you can get in the UK, now, is transformed compared to 20 or 30 years ago. But I think, what I can do is to encourage everyone to recognize that olive oil is more healthy than butter, that fish is more healthy than red meat, and Italian food is a great way to enjoy those things.
Jeremy Hunt, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTV
Last but not least: which is your favourite Italian dish?
My favourite Italian dish? I have absolutely no hesitation in telling you the answer to that. I have a small holiday house in Sicily and the “Antipasti” from Sicily, they are my favourite. I am sorry if you’re from the north of Italy, but they are much nicer than “antipasti” from the North. And my daughter favourite dish, without doubt, is Gelato, but for me it’s the “antipasti”.
The event had both an educational and charitable aim: in fact, the 20% of profits from the tickets sale will be used to help the people struck by the earthquake in Italy.
LONDON – The opening of the Night Tube has been in the talks for a long time and now it is finally the time to see how this new service, offered by what is described as the best city underground in the world, will better this reputation. The Night Tube will officially open for the first time this Friday and Saturday, August 19th and 20th – it will be a 24h service available on weekends, and it will cover the Central and Victoria Lines, to which the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Northern will be added this autumn. In addition to this, some bus lines will also be available with a 24h service: 34, 123, 145, 158, 296, E1, W3 and W7.
railtechnologymagazine.com / Ian Nicholson
As the opening approaches, excitement and worry travel at the same pace: the officer in charge of policing the London Underground announced that it is going to be a real “challenge” to keep London safe while the 24h service is on. The main focus, underlined by both Superintendent Horton (BTP) and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is indeed safety for Londoners and visitors: that’s why £3.4 million were invested to have about 100 BTP officers on patrol when the Night Tube launches. This opening will mark the start of a new exciting chapter for London: it will unlock the full potential of the nightlife and it will also be helpful for Londoners who travel to or from work. “Passengers on the night Tube must be able to travel with the same confidence they are used to during the day“, Khan stated.
The cost of a ticket for the Night Tube will be the same as a standard off-peak day ticket.
LONDON – Authorities have announced on August 4th that an additional 600 armed officers will be deployed in London as a long-term response to the series of deadly attacks that happened across Europe. The threat level of the city remains “severe“, but it has been announced that this move made by the Metropolitan Police is not linked to any specific intelligence; Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met commissioner, said that he is sure people will understand their determination to protect London and its citizens after all that’s happening in the EU. He also added that having firearms officers who will use force to stop attackers is essential, since the majority of London police officers do not carry firearms and therefore could not protect themselves and the public if faced with an armed terrorist.
His statement and convinctions are fully shared by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor, who puts London public’s safety and security before everything else. “There is no reason to be alarmed. Our police officers are working together with our communities to prevent the possibility of an attack“, he said.
This will not be the last addition to the Police: as stated by the Police Federation chairman, Steve White, the best-case scenario is to recruit an extra 1,500 officers in two years. “Some forces are getting volunteers coming forward, but they are not always being selected because they don’t meet the criteria or they are not of sufficient quality to go through the rigorous selection and training process”, he added.
Home Offices figures for the year to March 2016 showed that the number of armed officers in England and Wales significantly dropped, but police chiefs are confident forces’ number will get back to normal over the next 18 months.
ROME – The Prime Ministers of Italy and UK met yesterday at Villa Pamphili in Rome, to discuss some crucial aspects of the relations between the two countries after the Brexit results in a press conference, and to get to know each other a little bit better while enjoying some Italian goodies. Theresa May explained once again that, even if the UK will soon be out of the EU, it will “still very much be a part of it” and added that her main goal is to develop a plan that can benefit both parts; a plan that could be totally different from everything we have already seen happening in the EU with Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.
As far as the Anglo-Italian relations are concerned, both premiers stressed how this result marks the beginning of a new chapter for everyone: Matteo Renzi confessed his bitterness towards the referendum results but stated he is confident “some good would come of it“. In addition to that, with the Brexit being a turning point in history, economics, politics and society, he underlined the importance of arranging and following a precise timeline in the upcoming months. His English counterpart didn’t agree: Mrs May explained how every decision made from now on has to be cautious and mindful and said she hopes that EU leaders will be able to understand the UK’s need to have more time to set up a plan for the future.
Mrs May assured that nothing will change in the way rights are applied to Italians living in the UK but, she added, that she will guarantee a different and better treatement UK’s citizens in their own country, since that is what they asked for with the referendum. Regarding the current economic relations between Italy and the UK, both premiers wish to create a future “win win” plan for their countries: Italy occupies the 8th place in the list of trading countries with the UK, with a current £24bn annual two-way trade which, they hope, will be boosted in the future.
After a month from the Brexit results the situation still appears quite uncertain for both the UK and Europe, but the shared plan all leaders have in mind is reassuring: this referendum marks the beginning of a new era for the European Union, which Renzi defined as a “miracle” that “allowed a 60 years period of peace and prosperity“, in which all countries have the opportunity to grow and better themselves in order to create a brighter future for the EU and its citizens.
