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Diane Abbott Confirmed As Labour Candidate For General Election

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Diane Abbott has been formally confirmed as a Labour candidate for the general election, following a meeting of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

The veteran left-winger will be allowed to stand for re-election in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, the seat she has held since 1987.

Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, was embroiled in a bitter row over whether she would be allowed to stand.

She was suspended by Labour last year for suggesting that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people were not subject to racism “all their lives”.

She apologised, withdrew the comments and was eventually given the Labour whip back last week.

But party sources briefed The Times that Labour intended to block Abbott from seeking election for the party.

This triggered a widespread and vocal backlash from her supporters, with Abbott accusing Keir Starmer of engineering a “cull of leftwingers”.

Starmer U-turned on Friday by saying Abbott was “free” to be a Labour general election candidate and she later confirmed that she planned to do so.

Labour’s ruling NEC met on Tuesday to confirm the candidates for the election, with Sky News reporting Abbott was on the list rubber-stamped.

In a further sign of the bad blood between Starmer and Abbott, on Sunday Abbott tweeted “more lies from Starmer” above an article in which he claimed to have “more respect” for her than she realises.

The row over whether Abbott would be allowed to stand overshadowed much of the start of Labour’s election campaign.

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8 Most Egregious Clashes To Watch Out For As This Year’s Glastonbury Stage Times Are Revealed

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The festival of the summer is almost upon us once again, as music fans prepare to head to Glastonbury to watch headline performances from Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and more.

This year’s festivities take place between 26 and 30 June at Worthy Farm, where there will also be performances from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Little Simz, Shania Twain, Burna Boy and many more.

Those who were lucky enough to secure the ever-so-coveted tickets to this year’s event can get their highlighter pens at the ready, as the full line-ups and stage times for this year have finally been revealed.

But with that announcement also comes the dreaded clashes, as festival-goers will now have to make tough choices and decide who they want to prioritise later this month.

Here are the set clashes that have left us completely torn…

Sugababes and The Vaccines (Friday)

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You might remember that the Sugababes quite literally shut down the Avalon stage two years ago, so you can guarantee their Friday performance on the West Holts Stage from 4:55pm to 5:55pm is going to be another to remember.

However, they’re also set to clash with indie rockers The Vaccines’ performance at Woodsies from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

Jamie xx and Jungle (Friday)

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Dance fans are going to have to decide where to take their boogie shoes on on Friday night, as Jamie xx will be performing on the Woodsies stage from 10:30pm to 11:45pm, while Jungle will be headlining the West Holts stage around the same time from 10:15pm to 11:45pm.

Both acts will no doubt bring the revelry and escapism attendees will be looking for, but it’s a matter of whether you’re leaning towards electronic or something a little more funky. Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, Fontaines D.C. are also on at 11pm on The Park Stage, too.

Cyndi Lauper and Tems (Saturday)

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A tough one for girls who just want to have fun.

Both sets from US pop star Cyndi Lauper and Nigerian R&B star Tems on Saturday are set to be big weekend highlights. Cyndi will be on the Pyramid Stage from 2:30pm to 3:30pm (marking her Glasto debut more than 40 years into her music career), while Tems will be on The Other Stage from 2:15pm to 3:15pm.

Disclosure and Jessie Ware (Saturday)

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This one is more of a triple clash, as Coldplay, Disclosure and Jessie Ware will be performing on the Pyramid stage, Other stage and West Holts stage, respectively, at the same time on Saturday.

While the start times are slightly staggered, each of the acts is due to finish up at 11:45pm. The euphoria of A Sky Full Of Stars, thumping basslines of Latch or the hip-shaking abandon of Free Yourself? Take your pick…

SZA and The National (Sunday)

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Of course, we know that the simultaneous evening headliners on the Pyramid and Other stage always make for a tough choice. But while they may be intended to suit different tastes, what about those of us who like to get deep in our feels to a range of genres?

SZA and The National’s headlining set will be a tough one for eclectic music fans to decide between, with the Kill Bill singer’s performance beginning at 9.30pm, before the Brooklyn alternative rock band take to the Other stage just 15 minutes later.

Avril Lavigne and Janelle Monáe (Sunday)

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Sk8ter bois and and pleasure seekers will have to make a difficult decision on Sunday night, as Avril Lavigne and Janelle Monáe’s performances are set to very much overlap.

Janelle will be on the Pyramid Stage from 5:45pm to 6:45pm, while Avril will take to the Other stage from 6pm to 7pm. Maybe see how fast those legs can move if you want to try and catch the first 15 minutes of Janelle’s set before bolting over for some pop punk.

Romy and Nia Archives (Sunday)

Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Ltd/Shutterstock Dave Burke

Dance or jungle? The xx solo star Romy will be performing one of her joyful sets with songs like Enjoy Your Life and Strong over on the Woodsies stage from 8pm until 9pm on the Sunday, while Nia Archives (who was handpicked by Beyoncé to open one of her London Renaissance shows last year), will be tearing up the decks at, yes, exactly the same time, on the West Holts stage.

The good thing is, though, Romy will also be doing a DJ set at Levels on the Friday afternoon if you want to make it to that instead.

Burna Boy and Ghetts (Sunday)

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Burna Boy and Ghetts are set to take to the stage as the penultimate Sunday night acts on the Pyramid Stage and The Park Stage, respectively, both taking place in the one hour slot of 7:30pm to 8:30pm.

Given the amount of collaborations that the two artists have racked up, their sets are both ripe for at least one surprise guest performer.

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I’m A Dementia Expert – This 1 Hobby May Be The Best For Building Alzheimer’s Defences

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We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the two questions that experts say can confirm a suspected Alzheimer’s case.

We’ve also shared the foods, exercises, and types of work that may help to ward dementia off.

Which is all well and good ― but what about more fun ways to keep the condition at bay?

Well, in his book How To Prevent Dementia, neurologist Dr. Richard Restak shared that hobbies and “obsessive” interests can be really, really good for your brain health ― and that reading in particular can build up something called “cognitive reserve.”

What’s my “cognitive reserve,” and why does it matter?

Dr. Restak compares people with a high “cognitive reserve” and those without to two people who have lost their homes in a hurricane.

One is a millionaire who barely notices the change, and the other is “wiped out” by the loss as all his assets are tied up in his house.

“As with wealth, cognitive reserves are built up over time,” the neurologist says.

“Cognitive reserve theory refers to the representation stored within the brain of the knowledge, experience, and life events that accumulate during the course of a person’s lifetime,” he adds.

The bigger your “cognitive reserve” is, the more ballast you may have against dementia, the theory suggests ― just as a high muscle mass may help to give you more defences against the side effects of chemotherapy.

“A lifetime investment in building up cognitive reserve leads to healthy cognition and thinking later in life,” Dr. Restak wrote.

So, why reading in particular?

Thanks to the brain’s plasticity, “It is never too late to build your cognitive reserve” by learning something new, or more deeply, or experiencing different things, Dr. Restak says.

No matter what age you are, he says that the best way to build a decent cognitive reserve is to “Pick something that really interests you, grips you in a visceral sort of way, and then obsess (in a good way) about it.”

But that aside, “Reading for pleasure is perhaps the single most effective activity you can engage in for increasing cognitive reserve,” he says.

This is because reading “exerts its most powerful effect on memory,” both episodic and working.

He adds, “Fiction is more brain-challenging than non-fiction because it demands your full awareness of the narrative you are currently reading, while at the same time requiring you to hold in mind the situations and characters described earlier in the book.”

The author referenced a study which found that being immersed in a book was the “magic juice” which improved participants’ cognitive ability over those who did word puzzles.

So before you dismiss your romance novel habit as trashy, remember ― you’re simply strengthening your cognitive reserve.

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Donald Trump Reveals How Melania Reacted To His Conviction In The Hush Money Trial

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Former US President Donald Trump said his wife, Melania Trump, is doing “fine” after a jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in his criminal hush money trial in New York last week.

In an interview with Fox & Friends Weekend that aired on Sunday, the former president spoke about how his family is processing the news of his conviction.

“I think in many ways it’s tougher on them than it is on me,” he said. “They’re good people, all of them, everyone, everyone. I have a wonderful wife who has to listen to this stuff all the time. They do that for this reason.”

Trump added that while the former first lady has taken the news in stride, it’s still tough for her.

“She’s fine, but I think it’s very hard for her,” he said. “I mean, she’s fine, but you know she has to read all this crap.”

Trump has decried his conviction and pledged to appeal it.

While other family members, including Ivanka Trump, who had previously stayed silent about the proceedings, came out with a supportive message for her father following his guilty verdict, Melania Trump has not made any public statements or posts on her personal social media accounts since Thursday.

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The trial centers around a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election to keep quiet about her story about their alleged affair. Trump denies the affair.

The proceedings brought up embarrassing details about the former president and his relationship with his wife.

Michael Cohen, the former president’s personal lawyer and “fixer,” who was the prosecution’s star witness, told the court Trump wasn’t concerned about how his wife would react to Daniels going public with her story.

“He wasn’t thinking about Melania,” Cohen said. “This was all about the campaign.”

Meanwhile, Daniels told the court her affair with Trump started shortly after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple’s son, Barron.

Daniels also recalled Donald Trump told her at the time that he and Melania Trump slept in separate bedrooms.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror published Sunday, Daniels urged Melania Trump to leave the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

“I don’t know what their agreement may or may not be, but Melania needs to leave him,” Daniels said. “Not because of what he did with me or other women but because he is a convicted felon.”

Melania Trump has kept a low profile since the end of her husband’s administration, making rare public appearances as Donald Trump campaigns for the White House. She also did not show up at the Manhattan courthouse during the trial, even as other family members and allies joined Trump in court.

However, The New York Times reported Melania Trump privately called the trial “a disgrace” amounting to election interference.

Donald Trump’s sentencing hearing has been set for July 11.

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