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Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! Here at Us Weekly , we’re huge fans of the rich mom aesthetic. When it comes to celebs who nail the effortlessly chic style, Sofia Richie-Grainge tops the list. When she’s not spilling the deets on her makeup routines and unknowingly spawning new dance trends, Grainge is a new mom to her six-month-old daughter, Eloise, who she shares with her husband, Elliot. The 26-year-old recently combined her passion for fashion with her love of motherhood for a brand-new collaboration with Amazon Essentials. Released in early December, Grainge’s collection features an assortment of comfy pieces for babies and toddlers. Grainge, celebrated the launch on Instagram writing, “Inspired by my own experience as a mom, I wanted to create pieces that felt classic, timeless and easy to reach for. I hope you love them all as much as Eloise and I do.” While the collection focuses primarily on children’s style and everyday needs, there are cute pieces for parents as well. With the holiday season in full swing, now is an ideal time to stock up on the collection whether you’re a new mom or still searching for holiday gifts. The collection features elevated pieces for adults that make the perfect stocking stuffers. We rounded up our top picks from the collection, read ahead to check them out! This cozy sweatshirt is perfect for the holiday season. The mid-weight top comes in pink, black and ivory. If you’re lounging around the house, you can style it with the matching sweatpants, but you can elevate it too. Looking to serve a more sofisticated look? Layer it over a crisp white collared shirt, pair it with jeans and penny loafers and you’re good to go! Get the Amazon Essentials x Sofia Grainge Crewneck for just $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, December 13, 2024, but are subject to change. This soft, microfiber cami is perfect for breastfeeding mothers. It features breathable, stretchy fabric and an open neckline. This tank also doubles as a layering base that you can wear now that winter is quickly approaching! Get the Amazon Essentials x Sofia Grainge Micro-Ribbed Cropped Camisole for just $9 (originally $13) at Amazon ! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, December 13, 2024, but are subject to change. There’s nothing like the comfort of butter-soft sweatpants. These loose-fitting joggers feature an elastic waistband for maximum comfort. Like the matching sweatshirt, these bottoms are ultra versatile. You can use them to channel edgy style with the help of a collared shirt, a blazer and combat boots! Get the Amazon Essentials x Sofia Grainge Relaxed Jogger for just $22 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, December 13, 2024, but are subject to change. These cozy pajamas earned the title of No. 1 bestsellers. They’re just that comfortable and chic. The soft modal jersey fabric feels so nice on the skin. Plus, the top features a button-down detail, making it a perfect choice for breastfeeding mothers! Get the Amazon Essentials x Sofia Grainge Pajama Set for just $30 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, December 13, 2024, but are subject to change. Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out the rest of Sofia Grainge’s Amazon Essentials collection here and don’t forget about Amazon’s Daily Deals , where you can snag more great finds!
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the heigh of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.
SINGAPORE: A study carried out in May of this year that used artificial intelligence has shown that for young people, money concerns are the top barrier to having children. A substantial 70 per cent of the 230 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 in the study conducted by Nanyang Technological University and Research Network, a marketing company, cited the high living costs and the financial demands of raising a family in Singapore as their number one reason. The study’s results can be found in the report titled “Young Singaporeans’ Attitudes Toward Parenthood: Key Findings and Policy Implications,” which illuminates the hopes, fears, and perspectives concerning family planning decisions of young people in Singapore. Next to financial concerns, three-fifths of the study’s participants cited the challenges of balancing one’s career with family obligations, while two-fifths cited concerns over how mentally ready they are to become parents. Additionally, the young people said they are also worried about other issues, including climate change, since this would affect their children’s well-being. They also mentioned mental health and generational trauma as topics of importance to them. NTU said that the study used an AI interviewing platform that allowed participants to speak freely and share their views without the added pressure of having a human conduct the interview, which resulted in “an unprecedented depth of authentic insights.” Nanyang Business School professor Gemma Calvert, who designed the survey questions, said that using such a platform may take away the social desirability bias that is often present in actual interviews, causing interviews to unknowingly provide answers they believe are more acceptable to the interviewer. On his part, James Breeze, the CEO of Research Network, said that the study shows how AI enables studies to be carried out more quickly as actionable findings within weeks. With traditional interviews, this process can take several months. Singapore’s total fertility rate has been on a downward trend, from 1.12 in 2021, to 1.04 in 2022, to 0.97 in 2023. There are various reasons for Singapore’s low fertility. Some are temporal, for instance, couples that had their marriage plans disrupted by COVID-19, which may have in turn delayed their parenthood plans,” Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah said in Parliament in February. More recently, she said, “Based on current trends, the number of citizen deaths could exceed the number of citizen births in the first half of the 2030s.” /TISG Read also: Young Singaporeans say SG’s high cost of living may be the top reason for Singapore’s low birth rate
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Sports San Diego announced Thursday that DirecTV has extended its agreement as title sponsor of the Holiday Bowl. Neither side would say how long the agreement is for. DirecTV sponsored the previous two Holiday Bowls. After two editions at Petco Park, the downtown home of the San Diego Padres, the Holiday Bowl is moving to Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. It will be played Dec. 27 and match a top team from the ACC against current and former teams from the Pac-12.
Bob Marley , reggae, Usain Bolt, Red Stripe and an unlikely bobsleigh team... Jamaica has given the world many brilliant things. Not least James Bond, who was birthed at the typewriter of Ian Fleming in his Jamaican hideaway, GoldenEye. If your pockets are deep enough, you can rent Fleming’s original villa and, yes, his writing desk is still there. This is where Scaramanga and his three nipples and secret tropical lair were dreamt up: with its panoramic view over Oracabessa Bay and private beach, it’s easy to see how the latter came into Fleming’s mind; one can only wonder about the former. Chris Blackwell, the music-mogul behind Island Records, has owned GoldenEye since 1976. His friend Bob Marley sold it to him after complaining it was “too posh”. But Blackwell’s relationship with this special place goes way back: he remembers as a child visiting Fleming here with his mother, Blanche, who was one of the novelist’s BFFs. In fact, it was Blackwell’s uncle who originally found the land for Fleming back in 1946 when it was nothing more than 15 acres of overgrown shrub and a derelict donkey racetrack. Fast-forward to today and, after some ingenious development, GoldenEye is on the bucket list of every self-respecting traveller. Needless to say, when an invitation to visit popped up in my inbox my wife and I didn’t need any persuading. Which reminds me of that old and not very funny joke, you know the one: “I went to the Caribbean recently with my wife.” Jamaica? “No, she was happy to go.” Sorry, I told you it wasn’t very funny. Back to GoldenEye. Now set over 56 acres, this village-like resort consists of cottages and villas snaking along a lagoon and little huts perched on stilts over Low Cay Beach. Originally designed by Barbara Hulanicki, the genius behind London’s long-gone emporium Biba, each property is an exercise in low-key luxury. Ours (beachfront hut #45) was a delight, thanks in no small part to its sea-view veranda: the ideal place to enjoy an early morning Blue Mountain coffee or a sundowner punch (the complimentary bottle of Blackwell Rum was a nice touch). For the adventurous, there are plenty of activities from kayaking along the coast and paddle boarding around the lagoon to snorkeling off the nearby coral reef. Personally, I found my happy place on Button Beach, dipping in its bath-like waters and staying “hydrated” at the well-stocked Bamboo Bar; I still think about the jerk BBQ lunch at its adjoining grill. Dinner under the stars at the Bizot Restaurant was also unforgettable: we had a delicious curried fish stew accompanied by a local musician performing a transcendent version of Drive by The Cars. From live bands every night to hidden speakers on the beach, music is everywhere at GoldenEye. Another standout was the Swedish Aroma Massage at the property’s FieldSpa, housed in Naomi Campbell’s old holiday cottage on the lagoon. On the walk there I passed a forest of trees planted by famous names including Johnny Depp, Willie Nelson and Kate Moss. I spotted Lila Moss’ East Indian Mango planted in 2011 and sent a quick pic to her father, Jefferson. “Great to see it’s thriving,” he texted back. Sadly the same can’t be said for Cindy Crawford’s withered tree: somebody please water it. What Blackwell and his team have done at GoldenEye is clever. They have taken all the raw ingredients of Jamaica — the food, the music, the easy-come atmosphere — and reimagined it into a high-performing, customer-friendly idyll. Case in point: Sherifia, our personal concierge, was on Whatsapp 24/7 for all our needs, signing off every message with a “one love”. But if it’s the authentic, chaotic edge of the island you’re after, don’t worry: it’s waiting for you just in earshot on the other side of Button Beach. Leaving the blissful sanctity of GoldenEye was never going to be an easy process so we tagged on a quick stay at its twin property Strawberry Hill. Nestled up high in the Blue Mountains (365 hairpin corners to be precise), it’s a magical spot with small cottages hugging the steep hillside, an infinity pool overlooking Kingston far below and humming birds at breakfast. According to our in-the-know taxi driver, it’s up for sale, so hurry. Bond villains need not apply. Rates at GoldenEye start from £388 and from £292 for Strawberry Hill. elegantresorts.co.ukDAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria’s new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS’s leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed Damascus’ historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital’s old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. According to Arab television stations, the Friday sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world’s oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria had been tightly controlled under Assad’s rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011,” because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus’ biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country’s transformation has not seen violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition’s enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS’ leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds. Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria’s Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands, and has seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an “interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey’s borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would have to be responded to. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn’t exploit Syria’s transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen,” Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. ___ Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement
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