Saturday 13 December 2014

Andrea Faustini knocked out leaving Ben Haenow and Fleur East to battle for X Factor crown





ANDREA Faustini has been knocked out of the X Factor final tonight leaving Ben Haenow and Fleur East to battle it out for victory.


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Annie's new Tomorrow

The red mop of curls has been replaced by an afro, everyone's been cleaned up a bit (including Sandy), and New York looks a nicer place to live in. But other than that, not a lot has changed in the world of Annie. What a relief.She...


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Going solo! Prince George looks adorable as he poses for his official Christmas picture





HE'S used to being snapped with his parents but Prince George looks every inch the centre of attention in his official Christmas picture.


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MØ: A musical metamorphosis

Soulful Danish electro-pop artist MØ, who has risen as an international star this year, has surprisingly spent New Year's Eve in New Zealand before, as a child travelling with her parents."It was super. I remember we went...


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Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood CLASH during Strictly semi-finals





STRICTLY Come Dancing judges Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood clashed at the semi-final stage over a "blunder" in Simon Webbe's performance tonight.


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US asks auction house to suspend Navajo, Hopi sale

PARIS (AP) " The U.S. Embassy in Paris is asking a French auction house to suspend the planned sale Monday of Navajo and Hopi artifacts.The embassy said Saturday that U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley asked the auction house to withdraw...


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Germany's most successful TV show comes to an end

BERLIN (AP) " Germany's most successful TV show is ending after a 33-year-run."Wetten, dass..?" " or "Wanna bet?" " combined celebrity chat and everyday people performing improbable feats, from opening beer bottles with steamrollers...


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Elton and David rush to the altar

Superstar Sir Elton John and David Furnish are to marry Christmas week in a "small and intimate" ceremony, nine years after exchanging vows for their civil partnership.John, 67, and Furnish, 52, have invited 50 friends and family...


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Beyonce’s Swift birthday dash





SINGER Beyonce dashed across New York to help Taylor Swift celebrate her 25th birthday after attending a lunch for leading women in the music industry.


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On tour: Georgia Knott, Broods

2014 has been a big year for you, what have been your highlights? Splendour in the Grass was a massive one for us. It's really hard to highlight just a few moments. Everything has been incredible. Why are you looking forward t...


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TV pick: David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive

David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive takes a science documentary stab at the idea (this would make a great movie, perhaps starring Ben Stiller) of spending a night in a museum.It does so using terrific CGI imagery...


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Darcey: Why I turned down job with Strictly





HER calm words of encouragement to nervous celebrity dancers have made her a firm favourite on the Strictly judging panel.


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Call The Midwife's Miranda Hart: 'This Christmas special is delightfully Christmassy'





THE stars of Call The Midwife deliver another heart-warming Christmas special that’s perfect for the festive season…


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Holly Willoughby to return to our screens less than 3 months after birth of baby Chester





LESS than three months after the birth of her third child, Holly Willoughby hosts a star-studded Surprise Surprise


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Birds Of A Feather back with big health scare and Dorien's dark secret says Pauline Quirke





THE girls are back with a new series that kicks off with a festive special…


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Michael Ball: 'I'd do anything with Imelda Staunton'





IMELDA Staunton and Michael Ball hit the right note in Victoria Wood’s new musical drama…


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2014 Christmas windows at Harrods: Welcome to the Land of Make Believe












Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Matthew Williamson are just a few of the big brand names you'll discover while walking through Knightsbridge and peering into the Christmas windows at Harrods this year. Snow globes, teddy bears, tiny mice with fancy costumes and so much more await you as you discover The Land of Make Believe. However, should you not be able to make it into Harrods in London, I thought it was time for the annual pilgrimage to bring the windows to you. Here they are, in all their finery, from those tiny little mice to massive puppets dressed in dreamlike dresses. They are truly stunning in person, so if you can visit you really should. Plus, in my personal opinion the Santa at Harrods is always the best and a visit to Santa's Grotto in store is an experience not to be missed. Merry Christmas, all!





















































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ZM breakfast podcast most downloaded

The ZM Radio breakfast show team's podcast has been the most downloaded this year, as well as being selected for Best New Podcast in the 'iTunes Best of 2014 Awards', NZME. Radio said.The iTUNES Best of 2014 was chosen by the iTunes...


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John Cleese: My troubles with women





LIKE so many good ideas it emerged from a jolly lunch among friends.


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Review: Land Rover Discovery Sport





AFTER 17 years and almost a million sales it’s the end of the line for the highly popular Freelander.


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In the midnight hour: The best party dresses for Christmas





TURN heads in this season's most stunning party outfits...


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Where are they now? Seventies chart-toppers Mud





Mud's two remaining band members open up about their life, career and the success of their massive hit, Lonely This Christmas


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Faux fur scarves, metallic handbags, cocktail rings: Gold treats we want this week





THERE'S something for every budget in this week's must-have selection


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Vogue postcards, chocolate Santas, Nordic scarf: The best stocking fillers





COMPLETE your Christmas shopping with our round-up of the top gifts


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All wrapped up: Top ten beauty gift sets to give this Christmas





FROM Marc Jacobs to Elemis, here's a round-up of the best gift sets we're hoping Father Christmas will leave under our tree


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Festive treats with a twist: Baked Christmas ham and frangipane mince pies





UPDATE a Christmas classic with these recipes by Aldo Zilli


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A bird's eye view: Alan Titchmarsh tips to look after wildlife in your garden this winter





WINTER can be very tough on our feathered friends. Make sure they have plenty of food and water


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Janet McAllister: Publishers and patronisers: Final column festivities

Hold on to your hankies: this is my last column here (although I'm still going to hang around like a mad swell, reviewing theatre). And so, to end on a high note, here are some awards celebrating the superlative and the superfluous...


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Classical CD: The generosity of music

Beethoven sonatasMichael Houstoun (Rattle) Our leading pianist and cultural icon revisits Beethoven's 32 Piano Sonatas, following a successful national tour. The 14 CDs are housed in a slipcase with a generous book, and Steve Garden's...


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Friday 12 December 2014

Every picture tells a story

Creamy Psychology: Photographs by Yvonne Todd(Victoria University Press $60) One of the


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Big Hero 6: It's a boy's own gentle giant

Sometimes it seems as if every studio in Hollywood is making superhero movies. If their recently announced schedules are to be believed, then Marvel, Warner Bros, Sony and Fox will collectively release more than 20 such blockbusters...


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Can Amy Pascal's career survive Sony cyberattack?

LOS ANGELES (AP) " Amy Pascal, one of the most powerful women in the man's world that is Hollywood and the force behind such critical and commercial hits as "The Social Network" and "American Hustle" has had better daysThe co-chairman...


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Aretha serenades Swift as Billboard honors both

NEW YORK (AP) " It'll be hard for Taylor Swift top this as a birthday gift: A birthday serenade from none other than the Queen of Soul.Aretha Franklin arguably had the best performance of the afternoon as the legend gave an impromptu...


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Block homes still empty a month after auctions

Almost a month after The Block's finale, new owners are yet to move into the four houses featured on the hit TV3 reality series.The Pt Chevalier homes were auctioned on November 14, with buyers including two professional couples...


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Motown's Temptations, Four Tops visit Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) " Two legendary Motown groups "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" for a little access at the White House.Actually, there probably was no begging involved for members of the Temptations and the Four Tops to get into the Oval...


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Cuba: Rappers targeted by USAID program 'victims'

HAVANA (AP) " Cuban rappers targeted by a clandestine U.S. program are "victims" unknowingly swept into an effort to spark an anti-government youth movement, the Cuban government said Friday in its first reaction to an Associated...


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Review: Kindle Voyage – is Amazon’s new premium e-reader a Christmas must-have?





THE Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader on sale today - unfortunately this premium device comes with a pricetag to match.


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