By Steve Taggart The Portuguese property market is showing significant signs of improvement, as domestic and international buyers alike take advantage of the low prices that the Iberian country now offers. After three years of falling values, Statistics Portugal has revealed that property prices increased by 1.22% in the year to the first quarter of 2014, though prices are still well below their 2007 peak. In the southern Algarve region, for example, they remain 22.5% below their peak level. The...

By Anna Power, Film Editor @TLE_Film Here it is; what millions have of people have been waiting for the Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Official Teaser Trailer #1  a film which will be directed by  J.J. Abrams It is due to be released in December 2015, but here is a little bit to whet your appetite, may the force be with you

By Rosie Wilson With Christmas just around the corner, you might be feeling the pressure to squeeze into that LBD, get that mistletoe kiss locked down, or even just do a bit of damage control before it’s Baileys and mince pies all round. There are lots of ways you can make sure you’re looking your best this Christmas, but even more importantly, you should feel your best. ‘Tis the season, after all! Of course, you can try all the usual...

By Anna Power, Film Editor @TLE_Film Nothing says winter like wine, food and films, so I was delighted to hear that Mayfair’s delicious dining destination Hush has created a magical outdoor dining experience and combined all three. Classics in the Courtyard is a delightful programme of classic films screened every Saturday evening to warm the coldest hands and melt the warmest hearts; from Elf to Love Actually, Frozen to Fargo, wintry Saturday nights were meant to be spent like this....

By Thom James thomjames.info @thxmjames On July 24th, I became friends with most celebrated, controversial copycat poet of the last few decades, perhaps even history. And when I say ‘friends’, I actually mean that we became friends on Facebook. We had 16 mutual friends. That’s probably risen by one or two by now. Three if he’s lucky. I sent him an emoticon on chat. He read it an hour later. This is the kind of thing I do. I somehow come...

New research commissioned by American Express has quantified the social and community value of shopping in small independent shops ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday on 6th December. The results showed that small shops across the country are providing £537 million worth of added-value services and going above and beyond for their customers and local communities. This equates to £3,058 worth of time donated each year by the average small shop. The most common examples cited were checking in...

Satire by Jack Peat Police have been called to shops across the country after the shopping phenomenon known as Black Friday left store workers in a numeracy mind lock and unable to communicate with customers outside the numbers 1 to 100. Bedlam broke out across stores nationwide as shoppers rampaged shops to secure 10 to 20% off items if the sale value is over £100 and 30 to 50% off if the sale exceeds £150. Black Friday proceeds Gray Thursday...

By Sky Holmes ART WORLD GIANTS MEET IN PICASSO/DALÍ, DALÍ/PICASSO! Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida one of only two venues to host this landmark exhibition. Set in an inviting locale for art lovers wanting to escape the grey skies of Britain, the Dalí Museum in St Petersburg, Florida tells one of art history’s great untold stories in a new landmark exhibition. Picasso/Dalí, Dalí/Picasso explores the legacies of two of the most influential 20th century Spanish artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí and features...

Sport News 24/7 By Lars Thomesen  @LarsHT @TLE_Sport This November the World Chess Championship was held in Sochi, Russia.  For the second year running Norwegian Magnus Carlsen was crowned World Champion, but on home soil, the 23-year-old’s achievements are debatable on a sporting level. In Norway, chess is not recognised as a sport by the official federation.  It has become an undefined game, even if Norwegian sports journalists voted Carlsen as Norway’s 2013 Sportsman of the Year. That was the...