Poinsettias weren’t always a common Christmas flower in the UK ― but flower company Bloom & Wild say they became that way thanks to their festive colour and star-like shape.  So if you’ve got one in your home, chances are you’re trying your hardest to keep it fresh throughout the festive season.  Thankfully, David Denyer, an expert florist at Eflorist, told HuffPost UK that there are some surefire ways to accidentally kill your festive plant before it’d otherwise fade ― including some “people often overlook.”  What could cause an early plant death? “Pests are a big is ..read more

Kemi Badenoch has angered the Nigerian president over her previous comments about the country. A war of words has erupted between Kemi Badenoch and the president of Nigeria after he accused her of “denigrating her nation of origin”. Kashim Shettima launched his outspoken attack on the Tory leader while giving a speech on migration. Listing people whose families had migrated to other countries, the president praised former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak, describing him as a “brilliant young man, he never denigrated his nation of ancestry”. He went on: “Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British ..read more

Having a DIY Christmas all sounds well and good until you spend more on wool, special paper, cutting boards, and felting materials (yup, I’ve fallen down that rabbit hole before) than you’d ever have coughed up for a premade bauble.  Speaking of which, I once spent three days trying to make my own set of patchwork baubles before eventually giving up on bauble four; it’s not my calling, it seems.  And don’t even get me started on my crochet stocking delusions.  So, with make-your-own decor trending on TikTok, I thought I, a Christmas crafting veteran, would explain which ones a ..read more

Sabrina Carpenter When everyone was getting in on the Spotify Wrapped fun last week, Sabrina Carpenter has admitted she didn’t feel like she was able to join in. That’s because she was actually one of her own most-played artists. “It’s funny because when I first saw mine, my initial reaction was, ’Oh, damn, I can’t post that, because I’m on my own. It’s a bit conceited,” she told British Vogue. “But then I was like, I guess it’s a good thing that I’m on my list and listening to my own music, because it means I fuck with what I do.” She also revealed Dolly Parton, ABBA, Kacey Musgraves an ..read more

Farmers look at a poster as they attend a "RIP British Farming" protest in Westminster. The government will not U-turn on controversial changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers, No.10 has confirmed. Keir Starmer’s official spokesman ruled out any climbdown as thousands of farmers, many of them driving tractors, once again descended on Westminster to protest against the policy. Some of the placards on display read “No farmers, no food” and “Starmer Farmer Harmer”. Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that farms worth more than £1 million will become liable for the charge, albeit at the re ..read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a sprained wrist but was not otherwise seriously injured after falling following a weekly lunch gathering with his colleagues,his office said Tuesday. “Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,” according to the statement. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said McConnell’s fall happened after he left the lunch and was going through a Senate reception room. He said McConnell had a cut to his face but was able to make it to his office without ..read more

Lindsay Hoyle reprimanded the shadow home secretary during PMQs today Speaker Lindsay Hoyle interrupted PMQs today to tell off the shadow home secretary for loudly shouting at Keir Starmer. As Tory leader Kemi Badenoch tried to attack the PM’s record on immigration, Chris Philp backed up his boss by repeatedly gesturing towards the prime minister and yelling across the chamber throughout her questions. It appeared to come to a head for Philp when the leader of the opposition accused Starmer of trying to relax immigration before he got into government. Badenoch said in 2020 that the ..read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin is suddenly in favour of everyone following international law. Vladimir Putin seemed to overlook the international arrest warrant out against him while calling for everyone to adhere to the law. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president in March 2023 over his alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine. The Court’s 124 signatory countries are therefore expected to arrest him if he ever sets foot on their land – meaning his travel plans have been significantly scaled down over the last 18 months. Russi ..read more

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Glinda The Wicked movie has still got the world talking, as the cast and capture our attention with countless viral moments while promoting the film. It’s well-known that Wicked is based on the award-winning stage musical of the same name, which retells the classic story of The Wizard Of Oz from the perspective of the character who goes on to become known as the “Wicked Witch Of The West”. But this show was itself based on a novel by Gregory Maguire – and it was Gregory who actually came up with the name Elphaba. Gregory Maguire in 2008 Speaking to GBH News earli ..read more

Bowen Yang at the premiere of Wicked last month Bowen Yang has spoken out about a deleted scene from the Wicked movie that we think fans are going to want to hear about. The Saturday Night Live comic recently sat down with YouTube personality Trisha Paytas for a wide-ranging interview, in which the host confessed to being a long-time “stan” of Wicked cast member Ethan Slater. “Look, he is jacked under that shirt,” Bowen revealed, prompting Trisha to reveal exactly how he acquired this information. And that was when he let slip that there is a deleted scene from Wicked which saw both Ethan and ..read more