Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.

This week we're with a 29-year-old who moved to the UK from New Zealand in chase of change and easier access to travel. She and her husband live in Edinburgh and are saving for more European travel. This is going well as her very generous mother-in-law is currently visiting from New Zealand and they're pretty good at being prepared with their groceries. They're also both vegetarian, which brings down the cost a bit!

Industry: Marketing
Age: 29
Location: Edinburgh
Salary: £28,000
Paycheque amount per month: £1,841
Number of housemates: Just my husband and me

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: £650 rent
Loan payments: £0 – we left NZ with all our debts paid off, which feels like a small miracle.
Utilities: £194
Transportation: £54 for a bus card, although this month I’m not topping it up since we’re about to go away for two weeks and we are walking so frequently, so I’ll just get some mobile tickets.
Phone bill: £54
Savings: I pay our rent and bills as I got a job first when we moved here, so my husband pays for our gym memberships, charity donations, our savings (roughly £500-600) and a bit more of our social life.

Amount left over: £943

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

These "Lush Employee" Memes Are Hilariously Accurate

A New Technology Will Soon Let Airlines Charge Different Fares For Different People

The 3 Places Where Sexual Harassment Is Most Common

Reni Eddo-Lodge is that rarest of delights – a young, working-class black woman from Tottenham with a voice in public life. She’s written everywhere from The Telegraph to The New York Times and won various awards for her work to open up the conversation about systemic racism in Britain. Her debut book – Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race – is an important collection of essays on the topic.

It started as a blog post in 2014 when, frustrated at walking on eggshells when discussing race with white people, Reni wrote: “I just can’t engage with the bewilderment and the defensiveness as they try to grapple with the fact that not everyone experiences the world in the way that they do. They’ve never had to think about what it means, in power terms, to be white – so any time they’re vaguely reminded of this fact they interpret it as an affront…”

Exploring everything from class to feminism to the racial bias that is usually swept under the carpet in this country, the book is a real eye-opener when it comes to Britain’s hidden history of discrimination. And Reni doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to naming and shaming the unsisterly white feminists she’s come across along the way. She's someone I greatly admire for going against the grain and speaking up for what's right. Below, we had a conversation about her process, and about why a book like this matters now.

Paris Lees: So I guess you’re talking to a lot of white people about race now?

Reni Eddo-Lodge: I think I’ve been talking to white people about race ever since I published the post that said I don’t want to talk to white people about race anymore – it had the opposite effect! But one thing that it did change was the quality of the conversations I was having about race with white people. They got a lot better.

Do you think there’s an entitlement to that – like no one wants to hear what you’ve got to say until you don’t want to say it?

Definitely. Sometimes I think of it in the context of a strike. The withdrawal of labour. Then everyone is like "Noooo!" But what I found in the comments under the original post was people saying things like, "But you’re taking something really important away from us if you do that" and I was thinking, if it’s so important, why was I just constantly being shut down? So I think in that initial post and the title of the book, it was me really saying that there needs to be a new way to discuss these issues because the way that we’re all so used to is really unhelpful and destructive.

The book challenged my understanding of racism – and maybe it’s a very simplistic interpretation – as having ideas about people based upon their race. Usually bad ideas. I feel like what you’re talking about in the book, though, is white supremacism and white privilege?

To me, racism is about structural disadvantage. It’s about the fact that a black boy is three times as likely as the rest of the school population to be excluded from school, it’s about the fact that black people in the criminal justice system receive harsher sentences for possession of drugs, even though white people are much more likely to use drugs, it’s about the fact that if you have an African- or Asian-sounding name you’re much less likely to be called to interview when you’re applying for jobs than a white person with an English-sounding name with identical qualifications and experience. It’s about the fact that black people are much more likely to be sectioned in mental health services because of stereotypes that we’re aggressive and uncontrollable. We can’t avoid education, we all need a job, and it’s likely that we’re going to come into contact with the NHS or policing or the criminal justice system at some point in our lives. So I’m really talking about structural bias, which means that if you’re not white, you’re more likely to lose out in those systems. I think lots of people also have personal prejudice and I tell that anecdote in the book about finding myself in a café with the black man telling me, "I save the best cuts of meat for us and not white people". The fact of the matter is he was prejudiced.

But would you call that racism?

In its literal terms, it’s prejudging on racial prejudice. But he’s not in a position of power to negatively affect those white people’s life chances, if you know what I mean? I think lots of people have racial prejudice, but white people are more likely to be landlords, more likely to be CEOs, more likely to be in positions of power. So if you need a job or you need a home or you need an education, they’re the gatekeepers. I think racism is prejudice plus power, that’s where it really takes hold. Racism is a byword for prejudice and interpersonal nastiness, but I want to look at the bigger picture of institutional bias.

That section on bias in the education system made me really angry because my brother’s in his final year at uni, and mixed race. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s 21 – he’s got his whole life ahead of him and it’s just so wrong that, the evidence shows, the odds are stacked against him due to the colour of his skin...

I talk in the book about the fact that young black people are more likely to go to university but much less likely to get into the best, and when they do graduate they’re much more likely to graduate with lower grades, and earn less. You could interpret these stats and say, "Well it’s just because they’re not very good" or you could say, "The system is fucked, the system is biased". And there’s also evidence to show that if you come from poverty, regardless of your colour, that’s the case. Some people like to go on about meritocracy but the reality is that there’s a really homogenous group of people – basically middle-aged white men – who are hogging the positions we equate with talent.

Right, and do we really believe that those people are inherently more talented than the rest of the population?

I’m really glad that you also break down the idea that people of colour are coming over to Britain to grab all the resources. It’s like, "Hello! We’ve always had a class system in this country and the people who’ve got resources have never given a shit about the people at the bottom. If you take away all the people with brown skin, that system’s not just going to suddenly disappear!"

Well I wanted to talk about this idea of the "white working class". And I’m not saying that white people aren’t working class, but I am saying that not all working-class people are white, so can we ditch this phrase? Because it’s not accurate and I feel like it’s there to further anti-immigrant sentiment.

On that point, your interview with [former BNP leader] Nick Griffin is insane. He basically tells you to get out of the country and "go have kids" somewhere else. I didn’t know whether to be outraged or just laugh at how ridiculous he is?

Well I’m not about to go anywhere – I’m a British citizen mate!

Can you believe that he said that?

Well yeah, I can believe that based on what he’s been putting out into the public sphere for the past 15 years. I just look at it from the perspective of a jobbing journalist, sometimes you’ve just got to take the interview, you might not like the person, you might find them repulsive but you want your quote. Thank you and goodbye Nick Griffin. I wasn’t particularly cut up about it, I didn’t even take it seriously, even though I think he probably was being serious.

He comes across as paranoid and just generally confused.

I thought it was important to have that interview with him because we can see the legacy of his [anti-immigration] rhetoric that he was pushing in the mid-2000s. And now it’s taking place in a much more watered-down manner but a lot more commentators are now saying, "Well that’s a legitimate concern" whereas maybe 15 years ago they were saying, "This is terrible, this is abhorrent". But now there seems to be a new brand of Conservatism tinged with this brand of white supremacist theory, basically. And we’re supposed to say that this is a normal political position, when actually it’s based on genocide. We have clear evidence in the last 200 years that white supremacy basically leads to mass graves. Let’s not joke about it. It’s very serious. And I thought it was important that we talked about at least the recent origin of how we got to where we are today. There are certain political leaders in this country who are on good terms with Marine Le Pen. And we’re supposed to just nod our heads and be like, "Oh yeah, legitimate concerns".

Who? Farage?

Yeah. The day Marine Le Pen lost the French election, LeaveEUOfficial’s Twitter account tweeted "RIP France". Now, I just thought LeaveEU stood for leaving the EU? Not the National Front! What? That’s very disturbing to me.

What was the most shocking thing you discovered in writing the book?

Not much surprised me, because I’ve had access to anecdotal evidence of racism while growing up. I’m from Tottenham and I’d hear a lot about "sus" laws and how that was being used to target black people. Sus laws were basically a clause in the 1824 Vagrancy Act that were used quite a lot in the '70s and '80s, and sort of gave the police the power to arrest and detain some people who look suspicious. And I’d heard quite a lot of people saying they’d been stopped using that. I also heard a lot about housing discrimination. I think if you grow up black in Britain, you know that something is up – and when people didn’t have access to the census data or the Office for National Statistics or Department for Education, they knew. I was in a position to go out and find that information, and it confirmed what people had been telling me basically all my life.

I think most white people don’t understand what it’s like to grow up knowing that the system is rigged against you, knowing that no matter what situation you find yourself in, the colour of your skin could disadvantage you. The only thing I could do reading your words was compare it to the people in my family who’ve had those experiences, and to my own experience of being trans, but I think if I didn’t have those two things, I’d be even more clueless than I am now. How can we increase people’s empathy?

I think that more broadly, the system is not set up to elicit sympathy for the people who are not winning out of the system. I talk about fiction in the book and fictional representation. It’s one of the most effective vehicles for empathy that we’ve got in the modern world. As somebody who’s always been a fiction lover, I learned very quickly to empathise with white stories, because they were everywhere, and white people were at the centre of every narrative I read. But I think very few white people have learned to empathise with non-white stories. And that’s evidenced in the extreme backlash each time that a casting director or a novelist or someone like that attempts to blackify a beloved white character. People start saying it’s political correctness or it's multiculturalism. And it’s like I do believe that there’s lots of elements of the human experience that all of us can relate to, but they have thus far been communicated through white eyes.

There’s a great line in the book where you talk about people getting upset about Hermione being cast as a black girl in a stage production of Harry Potter and you say, "The imagination of black Hermione’s detractors can stretch to the possibility of there being a secret platform at King’s Cross station that can only be accessed by running through a brick wall, but they can’t stretch to a central black character." It just shows how blind people can be to their own inconsistencies.

As a final question, I wanted to ask you: what would your advice be to anyone reading this who wants to wake up?

First off, don’t look at the bigger picture and then feel demoralised. In fact, feel defiant. I think that’s really important. Find a support network. Find ways to switch off when you need to. And get stuck in, in whatever way you feel you can best bring change, whether that is literally by giving financial support to a chronically underfunded organisation that is working on these issues, or whether that’s admin support, volunteering, or having difficult conversations with people who are much more likely to listen to you than others. Just do what you can, when you can!

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Tale Of Obsessive Love From Award-Winning Author Louise O'Neill

11 Book Series You Loved As A Kid That Are Worth Revisiting

6 Photos That Reveal What Cross-Dressing Looked Like In The Past

Donald Trump isn’t exactly known for his impeccable spelling and grammar on Twitter. Most memorably, he condemned China’s “unpresidented” seizure of a US Navy drone and announced that he was “honered to serve" the American people – the day after his inauguration, no less.

But the President’s latest error has caused an even bigger stir, spawning an unpresidented (heh) avalanche of memes. Just after midnight, Washington time, he tweeted: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." The word he was most likely looking for was “coverage”, but none of his aides alerted him to the blunder.

The tweet has since been deleted but it remained active on his account for hours without comment or clarification – enough time for his Twitter followers to engage in some relentless mocking. There are already T-shirts, covfefe mugs and other memorabilia for sale on eBay, and an entrepreneurial soul has purchased the domain name, covfefe.us.

#covfefe is currently trending on Twitter across the world and the memes and witty retorts are far funnier than the original typo.

You used to #covfefe me on my cell phone. pic.twitter.com/rkp5r9XDJ0

— Matt Slevinsky (@_MATTATTAK) May 31, 2017

"Not only is covfefe a word, it's the greatest word ever uttered." pic.twitter.com/kWhfLrFaKn

— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 31, 2017

Finally figured out what Bill Murray whispered in Scarlett Johansson's ear at the end of "Lost in Translation" #covfefe pic.twitter.com/fDFJUYlEz8

— Jordan VanDina (@Shrimptooth) May 31, 2017

Media frantically typing #Covfefe on Google translate to see what it means in Russian. pic.twitter.com/0DubNBvs3C

— Matt '15 (@Aggie_Matt15) May 31, 2017

When they go low, we covfefe.

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) May 31, 2017

"And just before you serve it, you hit it with a dash of #Covfefe" pic.twitter.com/fm9CAF4Iyz

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) May 31, 2017

I like my #covfefe just how i like my president, Black.

— keller (@higher_keller) May 31, 2017

what makes me saddest is that I know I'll never write anything funnier than #covfefe

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 31, 2017

This is #covfefe translated from Russian. pic.twitter.com/1Im7ZzLO0Y

— Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) May 31, 2017

Note to @FT staff. We're going to move our daily negative press covfefe to 11am today. pic.twitter.com/TlZTbsZpTC

— Peter Spiegel (@SpiegelPeter) May 31, 2017

Some pointed out that it had helped to take attention away from US comedian Kathy Griffin, who had caused controversy earlier by posting a photo of a beheaded Trump.

Kathy Griffin: Tonight, I have all of Twitter paying attention to me!@realDonaldTrump: Hold my #covfefe.

— Victoria Cliett (@VictoriaCliett1) May 31, 2017

Congratulations Kathy Griffin. No one cares about you anymore. We have #covfefe now.

— Erik Brooks (@ChipBrooks17) May 31, 2017

"Thank god for covfefe." -Kathy Griffin

— Lauren Reeves (@laurenreeves) May 31, 2017

Thank god for the internet, eh?

The internet shouldn't be free. 😂 #covfefe pic.twitter.com/2fHzFQMARI

— Simar (@sahluwal) May 31, 2017

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

J.K. Rowling Is Back With A Brilliant TV Crime Drama This Weekend

The Predicted Cost Of A Wedding In 2028 Will Astonish You

7 Photos That Tell The Story Of The Last 7 Days

Many couples don’t realise how tricky it can be to conceive until they start trying. Not only do hormones and the menstrual cycle play a crucial role, but myriad other factors also make a huge difference: from your age and lifestyle, to your sexual health and whether or not you drink from plastic bottles (!). And of course, many couples only realise they’re infertile after years of trying. So, yeah, fertility is pretty complicated. But a new survey has shed some light on just how much effort is required to conceive a child.

The average couple trying for a baby has sex 78 times before they finally conceive, according to research by parenting website Channel Mum, which asked 1,194 British parents about their experience of conceiving.

This means it takes aspiring parents an average of six months and three days to get pregnant (185 days in total) after deciding to start a family, reported the Mirror. Nevertheless, luck also plays its part – just under a third of couples got pregnant in the first month, while a fifth took between a year and three years.

Half of those surveyed said they had sex more often than normal in a bid to increase their chances, with couples typically having sex 13 times per month.

An eager 10% said they had sex 15-20 times per month, while 5% were even more energetic, claiming to have sex nearly every day (21-25 times per month). Another 5% said they managed to get pregnant despite getting between the sheets just once each month.

For some respondents (18%), all this sex became a chore rather than a pleasure, but half of men and over a third of women said they "loved" having sex more often.

Women were more likely to say they initiated regular sex to conceive, with around 40% saying so, and 13% buying sexy lingerie for the purpose. One in 16 women even booked a holiday or weekend break specifically for sex.

Aside from more frequent sex, half of women also tried to sync sex with their fertile days and 39% altered their diet and took extra vitamins. Others (5%) opted for unusual, unscientific methods, including fertility spells and gender prediction calendars.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

J.K. Rowling Is Back With A Brilliant TV Crime Drama This Weekend

The Predicted Cost Of A Wedding In 2028 Will Astonish You

7 Photos That Tell The Story Of The Last 7 Days

After Alexa Chung revealed her much-anticipated eponymous clothing line at a fashion show inside a north London church (read our review here), it was time to celebrate.

And because after the show it's the... well, you know the rest, so guests piled into rickshaws and were whisked over to Soho for cocktails and dancing, with the music provided by Alexa's brother Dom. Click through to see what went down...

The collection is available from today, 31st May, from Alexachung.com and select retailers.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Jewish Drag Queens Of Tel Aviv

The Best Street Style At Milan Fashion Week AW18

Dolce & Gabbana Replaced Models With Drones At Milan Fashion Week

On any given Saturday this summer, Ariel Winter will gaze before a mirror engaging in a prepping ritual that is to many women all too familiar. She’ll blow dry her hair to smooth perfection; she’ll apply foundation 'til the pores don’t shine; she’ll apply some fake lashes so that her brown eyes really pop, and even add a little rouge in her cheeks and on her lips. Then she’ll kick on some heels — she likes them tall — and strut out the door. But if you think Winter is headed for a night out on the town you’d be wrong. This girl is headed to the beach. Wait, wha?

“I’m definitely a makeup at the beach person, and I don’t care if people think I look ridiculous — it’s my beach day!” Winter says with a light chuckle. “Whether I want to go natural or with makeup or in sweatpants, that’s up to me. People are so stressed out about how they’re going to look in their bathing suits that they forget to go to the beach because they want t o go to the beach, which defeats the whole purpose. The beach should be a safe space.”

If you are rolling your eyes, thinking that I-really-don't-care-what-other-people-think is the new I-don't-like-being-famous, then you haven’t been paying attention to Winter’s ascent from child star to wise, genuine and bold 19-year-old body positivity champion. The Los Angeles native had to earn her thick skin after debuting on Modern Family as the Dunphy family’s youngest daughter, Alex, when she was just 11. That means, puberty and all of the awkward stages of teenagedom — the kind that are hard enough to endure without the world watching — happened before millions of eyes. And this being the age of social media, it also means that Winter had to learn to deflect the hoards of commenters who habitually criticised her body or shamed her for showing off her curves whether she was wearing a graduation dress or yes, bathing suits.

“I went through a lot of hate online, so I tried to change myself for a really long time. But people just kept hating on me no matter what I did,” says Winter. She speaks quickly and definitively, as though she’s well-versed in defending herself. "I decided that instead of pleasing these other people, I’ll just spend that time pleasing myself. Those people are going to be rude to me regardless of what I do, so I should just try and be happy with what I am.”

"I’ve learned to not care about that as much. I’m comfortable in a bathing suit, scars and all."

As hard as that lesson was, learning to accept herself has certainly had its upside. Through Winter’s very public growing pains and self-esteem struggles, she’s emerged as an outspoken champion for anyone overcoming body image issues. She’s managed to build her fanbase to include women of all ages (no small feat for a Gen Z TV star), thanks to her blunt honesty about her body as well as the way she stresses the difference between body acceptance and body positivity. Sometimes, the former is simply good enough: “It’s hard to be positive about your body all the time,” she says. “I know because I’m honest about my insecurities that people think I’m 100% positive about my body all the time, but I’m not. I get really uncomfortable, too. But I just remind myself that this is the body I was given. This is who I am.”

This principle is especially important when it comes to bathing suit shopping. Winter says that the process has always been particularly anxiety-inducing for her, a fact that was especially true until 2015, the year she underwent a breast reduction surgery to alleviate the physical strain and body-image issues she attributed to her then-size-32F chest.

“Before then, I didn’t feel like myself, and everyone was so focused on my cleavage, so when I got the breast reduction it helped me feel so much better about my body,” she says. “I used to have full-scale meltdowns in bathing suit shops because there was nothing I could find to wear. I always felt like crap about myself. It’s gotten a little better, but it’s still definitely hard. Like, my best friend, she’s super tall and skinny and she’ll wear the same bathing suit as me, but people will automatically look at me and call me out as a slut or write headlines about ‘Ariel Winter’s cleavage.’ Meanwhile they look at her like, ‘Oh she looks so cute!’ But I’ve learned to not care about that as much. I’m comfortable in a bathing suit, scars and all.”

That’s an important point for Winter, who believes that now more than ever, women need to embrace and appreciate their bodies. She has been vocal about her concerns about the new President and whether his tendency to reduce women to their looks will have a trickle down effect.

“Our leadership is really anti-women right now,” she says. “Thanks to Donald Trump, we’re being objectified and made to feel bad about ourselves, so I think it’s really important for women to stick together and do the opposite of that; to let their bodies be seen and be heard, and to empower each other; to remind each other that what they look like is not the only thing that’s important when it comes to who they are.”

Winter’s strength through her critics and personal struggles have propelled her into a successful career — all before the age of 21. The in-demand actress has to fit in those beach trips between several projects: This spring she starred alongside Burt Reynolds in Dog Years, where she plays the foul-mouthed truck driver taking Reynold’s character on a road trip. She is already fielding more film offers, in addition to voicing the title character on Disney’s princess series Sofia The First. And ABC’s Modern Family was just renewed for two more seasons, which means Winter will continue to portray Alex Dunphy well into adulthood. But first, she has a few notes for the show’s writers.

“I hope to see Alex evolve more as an adult. I love that she’s in college and that she still gets home to see her family, but I wish there would be more storylines about Alex developing her romantic relationship and and also just developing her relationships with other people in general. I’d want to see her branch out and have some fun and grow socially a little bit so the world can see that she’s not a kid anymore.”

It seems the world is still having some trouble seeing Winter as an adult, too. Though she’s been open with the public about her rocky relationship with her parents and her decision to become emancipated from them in 2015 — which legally makes her an adult — she’s still often criticised for wearing clothing or making decisions too risqué for her age. And when she revealed to Jimmy Kimmel earlier this month that she’s living with her 29-year-old boyfriend, actor Levi Meaden, the next-day coverage focused on their age difference, rather than her work. Still, like the online haters of her body, Winter is able to shake off these haters, too, a skill that’s astoundingly mature for a 19-year-old navigating life’s obstacles in front of a million-person audience.

“I’m happy, and whatever people want to say, they can say,” she says. “I don’t understand why someone would even comment on our situation at all. There are tons of people of all ages that live with their boyfriend. There are tons of people that live with their girlfriends, [and] tons of people that don’t live together and are super happy. But I’m super happy in the arrangement that we have. We love living together. It’s just great.”

Winter adds that Meaden is one of the reasons she’s so comfortable in her own skin; her voice softens noticeably when she says his name.

“I have to say he is the most incredible person I’ve ever met and that I’m so lucky to be with him,” she says, adding that the couple has been taking archery lessons, and for them an ideal day involves hanging out by their pool with their dogs or playing poker with friends. “He’s always complimenting me and making me feel special and beautiful. We went grocery shopping today, and I was in, like, a weird T-shirt that I kind of hate and my semi-pyjama pants, and he still took the time to tell me that I look pretty. Even when I do feel bad about myself, he’s just there to support me and pick me back up when I’m feeling down.”

Meaden will often be accompanying the actress to the beach this summer. And she may be wearing makeup, or heels, or maybe she’ll change her mind and decided to go in flip-flops. Who knows? For Ariel Winter, taking back the beach is less about what you’re wearing to the beach and more about simply enjoying it.

But there are two things that are non-negotiable for her trip. “Snacks!” she says. “And sand toys. I am still a kid at heart.”

Watch our video interview with Ariel Winter below.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Emily Ratajkowski Had A Surprise Wedding In a £120 Zara Suit

Exclusive: Paris Jackson Lands Her First-Ever Fashion Campaign

From Actress To Designer, The Evolution Of Sarah Jessica Parker

A massive explosion rocked a highly secure diplomatic area of Kabul on Wednesday morning, killing 80 people and wounding as many as 350. The blast left a scene of mayhem and destruction and sent a huge plume of smoke over the Afghan capital.

The target of the attack — which officials said was a suicide car bombing — was not immediately known, but Ismail Kawasi, spokesman of the public health ministry, said most of the casualties were civilians, including women and children. It was one of the worst attacks Kabul has seen since the drawdown of foreign forces at the end of 2014.

Several embassies located in the area were heavily damaged in the explosion. It wasn't known if any foreign diplomats were among the casualties, but Germany and Pakistan said some of their embassy employees and staff were hurt.

The attack took place at the peak of Kabul's rush hour when roads are packed with worktime commuters. It went off close to a busy intersection in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, said Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

The neighbourhood is considered Kabul's safest area, with foreign embassies protected by dozens of 10-foot-high blast walls and government offices, guarded by police and national security forces. The German Embassy, the Foreign Ministry, and the Presidential Palace are all in the area, as are the British and Canadian embassies. The Chinese, Turkish, and Iranian embassies are also located there.

Local TV footage showed shocked residents soaked in blood stumbling about, then being ferried away to hospitals. Passers-by stopped and helped the wounded into their private cars, others congregated outside the nearby Italian-run Emergency Hospital.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group have staged large-scale attacks in the Afghan capital in the past.

The Afghan Taliban later issued a statement denying any involvement in the bombing and condemning all attacks against civilians. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban, said Wednesday's explosion had "nothing to do with the Mujahedeen of Islamic Emirate," as the Taliban call themselves.

But even though the Taliban claim they are only waging war against the Kabul government and foreign forces in Afghanistan, most of the casualties of their attacks have been civilians.

A statement from the Ministry of Interior Affairs said it "condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack" that killed so many, including women and children. "These heinous acts go against the values of humanity as well values of peaceful Afghans," it added.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also condemned the attack, which came just days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A statement from his office quoted Ghani as saying that "the terrorists, even in the holy month of Ramadan, the month of goodness, blessing and prayer, are not stopping the killing of our innocent people."

Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said an unspecified number of German Embassy employees in Kabul were hurt in the blast and an Afghan security guard outside the building was killed. Gabriel said all embassy workers were safe and offered his condolences to the family of the slain guard.

Pakistan also denounced the "terrorist attack in Kabul" and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "caused damage to the residences of some Pakistani diplomats and staff, living in the close vicinity, and inflicted minor injuries to some."

China's foreign ministry said its Kabul embassy in Kabul was partly damaged but that all embassy staff were "safe and sound" and that there had been no reports of injured Chinese citizens.

Kawasi, the health official, said the wounded were admitted to different Kabul hospitals. Shortly after the explosion, all roads in Wazir Akbar Khan were blocked off by Afghan security forces and helicopters were deployed over the neighbourhood.

The blast was so heavy that more than 50 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged at the site of the attack.

Residents described a mushroom cloud over Kabul and windows were shattered in shops, restaurants, and other buildings up to half a mile from the site of the explosion.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Michelle Obama Reveals Title & Details Of Her Upcoming Memoir

Donald Trump Says Arming Teachers Will Stop Shootings In Schools

Teenagers Are The Reason The Republican Party Should Be Terrified

President Trump is expected to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, a White House official said Wednesday, confirming a move certain to anger allies that spent years negotiating the landmark agreement to reduce carbon emissions.

But there may be "caveats in the language" that Trump uses to announce the withdrawal, leaving open the possibility that the decision isn't final, according to the official, who insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the decision before the official announcement.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning: "I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

Nearly 200 nations, including the United States under President Obama's administration, agreed in December 2015 to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change. Withdrawing would leave the United States aligned only with Russia among the world's industrialised economies in rejecting action to combat climate change.

During Trump's overseas trip last week, European leaders pressed him to keep the U.S. in the pact.

Trump, who has called global warming a "hoax," promised during his presidential campaign to pull the U.S. out of the deal.

The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012

Give me clean, beautiful and healthy air - not the same old climate change (global warming) bullshit! I am tired of hearing this nonsense.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2014

Word of Trump's decision comes a day after the president met with Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Like his boss, Pruitt has questioned the consensus of climate scientists that the Earth is warming and that man-made climate emissions are to blame.

Since taking office, Trump and Pruitt have moved to delay or roll back federal regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions while pledging to revive the long-struggling U.S. coal mines.

What is not yet clear is whether Trump plans to initiate a formal withdrawal from the Paris accord, which under the terms of the agreement could take three years, or exit the underlying U.N. climate change treaty on which the accord was based.

The U.S. is the world's second largest emitter of carbon, following only China. Beijing, however, has reaffirmed its commitment to meeting its targets under the Paris accord, recently cancelling construction of about 100 coal-fired power plants and investing billions in massive wind and solar projects.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Michelle Obama Reveals Title & Details Of Her Upcoming Memoir

Donald Trump Says Arming Teachers Will Stop Shootings In Schools

Teenagers Are The Reason The Republican Party Should Be Terrified

There’s something really liberating about the lack of mobile coverage on the Tube. First and foremost, it’s a good enough excuse to ignore the 3,287 work emails stewing in our inbox and crack on with our podcast or get some reading done instead.

Sure, it’s annoying not being able to find out what’s for dinner or let our mate know we’re running late for drinks, but the (mostly) mobile reception-free zone is like an oasis in a digitally overloaded desert.

Well, this could all be about to change under plans from Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London. The Underground could soon get full mobile coverage, allowing us to make calls and use the internet in the same way we do above ground, the Financial Times reported.

Telecoms infrastructure companies have apparently had informal talks with TfL and it’s expected to invite bids for the contract after next Thursday’s general election. So, pretty soon.

It’s already possible to get WiFi on many Tube station platforms but users must input their details and the connection is lost as soon as the train starts moving. (Plus, more than half of the “Underground” network is above ground anyway, along with the Overground and most of the DLR, so we can already use our phones normally on much of London's transport.)

The Tube’s lack of mobile coverage makes London an outlier among major world cities, including Paris, New York, Berlin and Tokyo, something Khan seems intent on remedying. The new plan is a step towards his goal of boosting digital connectivity across London.

A source from his office confirmed that the Mayor does indeed hope to introduce mobile coverage on the Tube and that more details will be released shortly.

TfL said it is ”keen to offer full mobile phone coverage for our customers,” adding: “The introduction of this would need to be commercially viable and would follow engagement with staff and customers.”

Londoners seem divided over whether it's a good thing or not, with many saying they dread having to listen to others' tedious phone calls.

https://t.co/FOJcusi8Tr Oh please god no, obnoxious people being loud on their phone is bad enough on the bus never mind the tube

— Stephen Ball (@stephendball) May 31, 2017

Mobile phone signal to be available on the Tube? pic.twitter.com/IKKMIMDklb

— Brendan 🇪🇺 ❄️🌈 (@Brendan_Surrey) May 31, 2017

not so brilliant if you don't want to listen to one end of a mobile phone conversation on the tube https://t.co/wIjnnDpH4M

— Tim Thomas 🇪🇺 (@timofnewbury) May 31, 2017

While others said it would be good for emergencies and pointed out that people were probably overreacting.

So far, the tube was one of the few places without all those important people constantly on the phone. But it's good for emergencies.

— Axel Riemann (@konqrunner) May 31, 2017

People freaking out at phone coverage coming to the tube as if they're above all that awfulness... pic.twitter.com/nGkd0wxMQb

— bennettboy_ (@bennettboy_) May 31, 2017

People freaking out at phone coverage coming to the tube as if they never want to be contacted... pic.twitter.com/QOTXk7kdnC

— bennettboy_ (@bennettboy_) May 31, 2017

People freaking out at phone coverage coming to the tube as if it's some kind of relaxing sanctuary of zen... pic.twitter.com/T1AiYrSWVh

— bennettboy_ (@bennettboy_) May 31, 2017

Hey, at least scrolling through Instagram could make having to rest your head under someone's moist armpit a tad less soul-destroying.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Women Are More Officially Anxious Than Men & Here's Why

The Best Cities To Live In Abroad (According To Expats)

Why Babies Born In Hackney Are Being Given Cardboard Boxes

"Bang! Bang! BANG!"

A gun hasn't gone off; it's just Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins encouraging Gal Gadot to punch the air with gusto. The actress follows her commands, energetically whipping her arms against an invisible enemy. In reality, she's running on a treadmill positioned in front of a green screen at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, just outside London. Catch a glimpse at one of the countless monitors on set, however, and you see her charging across a battlefield, deflecting bullets and being the ultimate badass.

After several takes, Gadot slips off the treadmill and takes a break. She's wearing her character's iconic blue and red costume, with a notable difference: Wonder Woman wears tall wedged boots. Gadot is wearing sneakers underneath gold spat-like coverings. Isn't CGI beautiful?

Sneakers or not, it's a pinch-yourself moment to see this all in the flesh. It's also a pinch-yourself part for Gadot, a former Miss Israel and combat soldier who starred in the Fast and the Furious franchise before breaking through with 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A year later, she's the lead in the first standalone film about the most famous female superhero in the world.

As it happens, Gadot didn't really grow up with the Wonder Woman/Diana Prince story, she admitted during Refinery29's visit to the film's London set last winter. It wasn't until she was cast in the role that she began watching reruns of the 1970s TV show starring Lynda Carter. Though she's now besotted with the character — "I really, really love Diana, I love everything about her," she shared — it was the opportunity to play a powerful female that first appealed to her.

"Women of all ages will want to be her, and men will want to be with her.”

"Somehow, I think that I always wished to play Wonder Woman without even knowing it myself," the 32-year-old star said. "Eight years ago when I became an actress I used to travel to Los Angeles and take general meetings with different producers, writers, and directors, and they kept on asking me the same question over and over again, ‘What’s your dream role?’ I kept on saying, ‘I’m open to all genres as long as the story is interesting enough, but if you really ask me, what would I like to do is to show the stronger side of women, because I feel that there’s not enough stories being told about strong women, independent women.' Little did I know that five years later I would land this part.”

It's perfect casting, according to Wonder Woman producer Charles Roven.

"She carries with her this amazing warmth, this amazing strength, and also has just that twinkle in her eye where she’s fearless in all ways but not in an overbearing way, in a way that you want to get next to, that you want to embrace," Roven told Refinery29 in a separate phone interview. "Really I think women of all ages will want to be her, and men will want to be with her.”

Gadot shared a similar sentiment.

"She has the heart of a human being, powers of a goddess, and a very wise brain, so she’s everything," she said.

"She has the heart of a human being, powers of a goddess, and a very wise brain, so she’s everything."

Of course, the role wasn't without its challenges. In addition to running on that treadmill for take after take, Gadot underwent intense physical training, including boxing, sword play, and mixed martial arts. She enjoyed the physicality, but jumping around on frigid London nights while "wearing a very short piece of rubber" was "less thrilling."

Fortunately, costar Chris Pine was there to offer some levity. On the day of our visit, the actor was off in scuba training to prepare for his role of Steve Trevor, but Gadot couldn't resist gushing about his work.

"He’s a great partner [and] funny, we have lots of laughs on set," she said. "I think that his character, compared to Diana’s character, they’re very much yin and yang. He’s this realistic guy who’s been through a lot and he knows what mankind is capable of doing, and Diana is this young idealist who thinks that the world is very pure, mankind is only good. Once they get to know each other he teaches her so much about reality and mankind, and she brings back hope to his life.”

But don't write this off as just your average love story. The Themysciran princess may appear naive, but she's undeniably the hero of this tale, much to Gadot's delight.

"It’s funny because I just had the conversation with my daughter," the mother of two told us. "I put her to bed and I was reading her a story and it was about princesses and Ariel the mermaid, whatever, and then she was talking about the prince. She said, ‘Yeah, the princes, they’re very strong,’ and I asked her, ‘What about the princesses?’ ‘They’re weak.’ [I asked] 'How do you think they should be, Alma?’ She said, ‘They should be strong.’

"I feel very proud that finally this movie is being made because all of the guys, all men, all boys, always had a figure to look up to. Whether it’s Superman or Batman or Spider-Man or whatever it is, they always had heroes to look up to, and for girls it’s always the princesses who are being saved, who are being passive. Finally, [there's] Wonder Woman. She’s fierce, she’s proactive, she believes in herself, she believes she can do everything, and that’s a true woman to me.”

Wonder Woman opens in cinemas June 1.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Aubrey Plaza Says The Oscars Have To Do Better In Latinx Representation

An Organisation Is Raising Money So Underprivileged Children Can See A Wrinkle In Time For Free

The Easter Egg In Annhiliation That Clarifies Everything

Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) is a child genius — a prodigy in all subjects and well ahead of the other 11-year-olds in his class. Rather than escape to a gifted school, the protagonist of The Book Of Henry stays in the district for his "social growth," and instead uses his intellectual prowess to look after his family's finances and keep his mother (Naomi Watts) together. Generally, things are pretty quiet, aside from his playful brother Peter (played by everyone's favourite Jacob Tremblay) and occasional interruptions from family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). However, when Henry spots a classmate (Maddie Ziegler) in a crisis, they all band together to help.

It's an intense story with moving a moving premise, but this clip shared exclusively with Refinery29 shows the lighthearted side of their lives. Henry's mum and Sheila arrive home to find the boys in the middle of...something involving goggles...that is quickly derailed in order for Henry and Sheila to bicker.

"Hank," Sheila says.

"It's actually Henry," he replies. "I'd think you'd be able to retain at least one simple name somewhere beyond that haircut."

"Nice goggles," Sheila retorts. "They go well with your misshapen head."

The two characters have developed a sort of routine with their back-and-forths, but no matter what, Henry will always be miles ahead of everyone else in the room.

"I've had a hell of a day," his mother later interjects. "Sheila and I are just going to hang out a little, okay?"

"They're gonna get so drunk right now," Henry says to Peter.

"I know," he replies in the most Jacob Tremblay way.

Beyond this, the movie is a wild ride of emotional drama, secret photographs, and elaborate mechanisms built by Henry which might just save his classmate from the tyranny of her stepfather. The heart of it, however, is about family — and a family of Jacob Tremblay and Naomi Watts sounds pretty good to me.

Catch The Book Of Henry in cinemas on June 23

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Aubrey Plaza Says The Oscars Have To Do Better In Latinx Representation

An Organisation Is Raising Money So Underprivileged Children Can See A Wrinkle In Time For Free

The Easter Egg In Annhiliation That Clarifies Everything

Entrepreneurship can be contagious. When you see how other people take a personal passion or skill and turn it into income-generating work, you might begin to wonder how to do the same with your own interests or hobbies. For many women, Etsy is a great place to start out.

According to the company, 87% of their 1.7 million sellers identify as women, and 63% of sellers on the platform are under the age of 45. Close to a third of Etsy-preneurs say that their work on the site is their sole occupation but, overall, 49% of sellers use the income they make to pay for household expenses, including utility bills and rent.

Curious about how you can get started? Here are tips from six successful women on the platform about how to make it work for you.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

5 Ways To Save Money When You Live In A City

9 Women's Best Tips On How To Become A Boss

A Week In Brooklyn, NY, On A $70,000 Salary

President Trump is poised to withdraw the US from a major international climate deal championed by President Obama and signed by almost every nation in the world. On top of rolling back Obama's climate change efforts, sending a message that the environment isn't a US priority, and damaging foreign relations, pulling out of the Paris Agreement will inevitably hurt women everywhere.

Poor women don't have the resources to adapt to the environmental changes brought on by climate change, and past natural disasters have proven that women have a harder time recuperating, are victimised, and are more likely to die than men.

Trump plans to announce the decision this week and is working with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to determine how the US will remove itself from the accord, which could take three years. Russia is the only other industrialised country that has rejected the agreement.

In case you're wondering exactly what this climate deal entails, here's the gist: Participating nations all pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by different amounts, and the deal requires them to regularly report back on their emissions and plans to reduce them. The Obama administration committed the US to a 26 to 28% decrease in emissions by 2025, but the agreement doesn't legally hold countries to their pledged goals.

Climate change deniers (including the president) were strong opponents of the deal, but Republicans in Congress also claimed it would hurt the economy and cause energy prices to soar.

What the opponents don't talk about, though, is how climate change disproportionately affects women around the world. Changes to the environment impact everyone, but — like most issues — who is most impacted comes down to socioeconomic class.

The poor have less resources available to adapt to a changing environment, find alternative food sources when theirs disappear, and rebuild homes destroyed in natural disasters. Since women are more likely to live in poverty and women in poor countries have less power when it comes to their families' economic assets, the class issue becomes a women's issue.

With less resources to leave the area, and often children and parents to care for, women are more likely to die in natural disasters (which are worsened by warming weather). During the 1995 Kobe earthquake, 1.5 times as many women as men died; and during the 2004 Asian tsunami, three times as many women as men died, according to an Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) report.

The deeper impacts of climate change on women exist everywhere from sub-Sahara Africa to the US. Two years after Hurricane Katrina, women had a harder time returning to work and getting back on their feet. Labor participation was still down 6.6% for women, and only 3.8% for men in the area, according to a 2008 report from Tulane University’s Newcomb College Center for Research on Women.

Women also become more vulnerable to violence during disasters. The IWPR report shows that gender-based violence (including sexual assault and domestic violence) increased from 4.6 per 100,000 to 16.3 per 100,000 each day in Mississippi when women were displaced during Katrina.

Refusing to acknowledge climate change's detrimental effects on the world also means a refusal to acknowledge the ways it puts the lives and livelihood of many women around the world at risk.. Removing the US from the international agreement to combat harmful emissions not only proves the environment isn't a priority for the Trump administration, it proves women aren't a priority, either.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Trump Says He Would Run Into A School During A Shooting — Even Without A Gun

Ivanka Trump On Sexual Harassment Accusations: "I Believe My Father"

Michelle Obama Reveals Title & Details Of Her Upcoming Memoir

Typically, large charity events are elaborately planned affairs that take months (if not years) of logistical planning and contract negotiations in order to both make the event run smoothly, as well as meet the demands of all parties involved. That was not the case for the the Sunday, June 4 benefit concert that Ariana Grande is headlining this weekend — just two weeks after the terrorist attack that killed 22 and injured 59 at her Manchester show.

New details on the massive undertaking, reported by Billboard, illustrate how the massive, star-studded fundraiser was put together in just nine days — all thanks to Grande's initial idea. "The idea to host this event came from Ariana," said Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, the Live Nation subsidiary producing the One Love Manchester show. "She was very traumatised after the attack, but it was very important to her to support the victims and show a level of defiance that stands up to this bloodlust and ambivalence towards innocent individuals and tells the terrorists that they are not going to stop us."

Grande's manager Scooter Braun got the concert promoters onboard, and then started booking the incredible lineup of talent signed on: Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, Pharrell, Usher, One Direction's Niall Horan, and British pop group Take That. Billboard reports that all of the acts will use Grande's band for their sets, except for Coldplay, and that a choir of Manchester students will participate as well.

Of course, safety was a major concern in putting the event together. Benn said that the Greater Manchester Police offered their full support. Benn said the chief constable told him, "'This is an amazing thing that Ariana wants to do and it shows we're not defeated, we're standing together united,' and even though it's going to be a phenomenal amount of work, he fully embraced the idea." Benn also helped convince Manchester United to move up the time of a soccer match that would have clogged up the train station as concert goers were arriving.

Net ticket proceeds will go to the the We Love Manchester Emergency fund, which was organised by the city of Manchester and the British Red Cross to support victims and their families. Plus, all who attended the May 22 show are allowed to attend for free (as long as they register on Ticketmaster by Wednesday). Tickets will become available to the general public on Thursday morning.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

How Coachella Can Combat Gender Inequality

Janelle Monáe's New Music Is Actually From Her Mentor Prince's Archive

No, That Wasn't A Random Drunk Girl Photobombing Liam & Cheryl At The Brits

Theresa May failed to show up to last night’s BBC election debate and she’s been reprimanded by an unlikely source.

The Prime Minister sent Home Secretary Amber Rudd, whose father died just two days prior, to represent the Tories in her place, leading the other party leaders, including Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron of the Lib Dems, to accuse her of “running away” from the debate. So far, so predictable.

But less expected was the response from the official Twitter account for Netflix's hit show House of Cards, which had a sassy message for the Prime Minister.

“@theresa_may They respect you more when you show strength. Or show up,” it said, accompanied by a GIF of Kevin Spacey, aka President Frank Underwood, walking into the US Senate.

@theresa_may They respect you more when you show strength. Or show up. pic.twitter.com/mNXXDKL0xd

— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) May 31, 2017

Ouch. Corbyn supporters and fans of the show lapped it up, with many liking and retweeting it, and posting their own memes.

I've just been handed this note. I'm not sure if it's a forgery though... #BBCDebate #wherestheresa pic.twitter.com/zaICR8K13d

— DJ Villan ♿🎙 (@DJVillan) May 31, 2017

NEWS UPDATE: Concerns grow for missing coward #WheresTheresa pic.twitter.com/BNGol40GqX

— The Agitator (@UKDemockery) May 31, 2017

Where's Theresa? (Yes, I did put here in there...) 😂#wherestheresa #BBCDebate pic.twitter.com/8pQ1CrDRAI

— Lee-Ann Galvin (@Rokincow) May 31, 2017

Looking for Theresa May under my chair, anyone seen her?! #WheresTheresa #BBCDebate pic.twitter.com/cq4QrMvr9Z

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) May 31, 2017

Help raise awareness. Can you help us find Teresa? #bbcdebate #wherestheresa pic.twitter.com/Nbcz2qMPdr

— JT (@JoeMcDT) May 31, 2017

When you start to realise you shouldn't have agreed to cover your mates shift at work #BBCDebate #wherestheresa pic.twitter.com/QsXRLZH1XI

— Lucy Gillespie (@lucyygillespie) May 31, 2017

During the debate, Farron suggested May might be "outside, sizing up your house to pay for your social care." Twitter had a peek through the curtains, terrified about what it might find.

Just seen Theresa May outside my house #BBCDebate #GE2017 pic.twitter.com/k8gkRn0Ttn

— Ed Bevan (@EdBevan11) May 31, 2017

The thought of Theresa May being outside my house #BBCDebate pic.twitter.com/PKUht3AJW9

— Emily Harrison ✨ (@emily__harrison) May 31, 2017

oh no @timfarron was right! May is outside my house instead of being at the debate #BBCDebate pic.twitter.com/zlXnsezb1z

— Jon (@jonp__) May 31, 2017

Oh Twitter, you've done it again.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

This Uber Driver's Sarcastic Spotify Playlists Will Make Your Day

Syrian Women Sexually Exploited In Return For Aid

Women Are More Officially Anxious Than Men & Here's Why

Brexit has already had a fair few sobering consequences – and it hasn’t even happened yet. But the latest has got to be pretty high on the ever-growing list. The price of a bottle of wine has reached an all-time high and looks set to carry on rising, according to industry trade body the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

The average 75cl bottle in the UK now costs £5.56, with the price having risen more between January and March of this year than in the past two years, reported The Guardian. It hit £5.50 for the first time at the end of last year.

What’s more, the price of our favourite post-work relaxant looks sets to rise further. “Unfortunately, for both British businesses and consumers, we are clear that this is not a one-off adjustment, but rather that wine prices will continue to rise,” said Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA.

No prizes for guessing the culprit, either. The weak pound, caused by the shock result of the EU referendum, has led to a rise in the cost of imported goods, making many of our favourite food, drink and other items cost more.

The pound’s value has dropped by 11% against the euro since last June and the vast majority of all wine sold in the UK is imported – a heady cocktail of factors that could make it far less appealing to crack open that second bottle at dinner.

But that's not all. The 3.9% rise in alcohol duty, which the chancellor announced in the spring budget and came into force on 13th March, adds another 8p to the average bottle if wine retailers opt to pass on the cost in full, The Guardian reported.

And, we're sorry to have to break the news, but the cost of Champagne and Prosecco looks set to soar by even more. An average-priced bottle of Champagne could rise by up to £1 per bottle, while a bottle of Prosecco could get 59p more expensive, the WSTA predicted in February. With so little good news at the moment, there's very little need to toast anyway.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

This Uber Driver's Sarcastic Spotify Playlists Will Make Your Day

Syrian Women Sexually Exploited In Return For Aid

Women Are More Officially Anxious Than Men & Here's Why

So your office has table football, desk beers and dress-down Fridays – pretty “cool”, right”? Well, we sincerely doubt it’s as cool as the proposals for Google’s new London headquarters.

The company has officially submitted its plans for a new £1bn building in King’s Cross to Camden council – and you’re going to want to have words with HR once you’ve seen the fun that awaits its employees.

Around 4,500 “Googlers” will get access to a “wellness centre” containing a pool, massage rooms, multiple gyms, a multi-use indoor sports pitch and no fewer than four cafes, the Guardian reported. It's hoped the facilities will, "ensure the health and wellbeing of staff and foster the innovation and creativity that defines the organisation.”

There will also be a rooftop garden divided over multiple storeys, planted with strawberries, gooseberries and sage, "pause areas" containing meadow and woodland plants, and a 200-metre rooftop running trail. The ground floor will also have shops and an events centre, which could be used to host events and product launches.

If the plans are approved, the 11-storey, 1million sq ft (92,000m2) building will be built parallel to King’s Cross railway station’s platforms from 2018. It's been nicknamed a "landscraper" because it'll be even longer than the Shard is tall once it's finished.

The plans were designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studios, who designed TfL’s new Routemaster bus and the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron. It will be the first building designed specifically for- and owned wholly by Google outside the US.

Google already has an office in King's Cross around the corner from the proposed new site and is planning on moving into a third building in the area, creating a new campus to house its 7,000 employees.

The company confirmed six months ago that it would be sticking to its plans to open a new London HQ, which many viewed as a vote of confidence in the UK economy following the Brexit vote.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

This Uber Driver's Sarcastic Spotify Playlists Will Make Your Day

Syrian Women Sexually Exploited In Return For Aid

Women Are More Officially Anxious Than Men & Here's Why

Chloë Grace Moretz has responded to criticism of the marketing for her upcoming animated film Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs.

"I have now fully reviewed the [marketing] for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team," the actress wrote on Twitter. (The statement in full is spread across three adjoining Tweets.)

She continued, "Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety. The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offence that was beyond my creative control."

I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team

— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017

Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g

— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017

The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX

— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017

This story was originally published on May 31 at 10:35 a.m.

We're all for giving fairy tales a modern twist, considering how times have changed since the days of those Brothers Grimm. But an upcoming "sequel" to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is probably going in the wrong direction, based on reactions to the movie's trailer and poster, which point out some blatant fat-shaming.

South Korean animation studio Locus is behind Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs, which is voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, Gina Gershon, and Jim Rash. According to the Locus site, the titular character is "a Princess who doesn't fit into the celebrity world of Princesses — or their dress size." Apparently, in order to fit in on Fairy Tale Island, she uses a pair of magical shoes that make her skinny. "In her quest to find her lost father, she learns not only to accept herself, but to celebrate who she is, inside and out."

That message of acceptance seems to be lost in the trailer, however, which shows two dwarfs who sneak into her home and watch her undress (and this is a family film, mind you). When she kicks off those red shoes, she returns to her true form, a curvier girl who relaxes in her armchair and burps. The dwarfs are horrified.

Model and body-positive advocate Tess Holliday pointed out a poster for the movie that is just as shameful, Mashable reported. "What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 Dwarfs not so short?" asks the tagline.

"How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly?" Holliday wrote, and directed the question to Moretz's Twitter handle.

How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? 🤔😏@ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM

— Tess Holliday 🥀 (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017

Other Twitter users agreed.

"What if Snow White felt beautiful no matter what because people treated her as a person, not an object?"

— Roof Beam Reader (@RoofBeamReader) May 30, 2017

"What if Snow White felt beautiful no matter what because people treated her as a person, not an object?" @RoofBeamReader asked.

https://t.co/t3mFnIKGlq

Watch the trailer. They sexualize her and then fucking body shame her. What a great fucking children's movie! 😡😡😡

— Cheyenne (@Goofy_Ginger) May 31, 2017

"Watch the trailer," @Goofy_ginger wrote. "They sexualize her and then fucking body shame her. What a great fucking children's movie!"

https://t.co/KS2lWcCgdR so much bullshit in this trailer i dont even know where to begin

— god complex (@ritualhound) May 31, 2017

"So much bullshit in this trailer, I don't even know where to begin," wrote @ritualhound, who also called out Moretz. "It really sucks bcus this seems like a really good concept. I'm unsure if its a marketing problem, or if this is a reflection of the story."

Moretz, whose involvement in the project was just announced earlier this month, has yet to respond to the criticism. The movie's producers were seeking distribution at Cannes. Perhaps if they're successful, the distributor will think of a better way to promote it.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Haters, Drunk Jennifer Lawrence Uninvites You From Seeing Red Sparrow

The Biggest Oscar Upsets Of All Time

20 Incredible Actors Who Shockingly Haven't Won Oscars — Yet

If you have a summertime trip to Europe planned, we have good news — the Department of Homeland Security has announced that it won't implement a ban on laptops on flights to America from Europe.

It remains unclear whether or not the United States will pursue a future ban, and reports indicate that European and United States officials disagree on whether or not regulations should be put in place. Although European sources consider the issue to be resolved, the Trump administration is reportedly still considering a laptop ban.

This news follows the Department of Homeland Security's March 21 implementation of a rule requiring passengers flying to the United States from 10 airports in Muslim-majority countries to stow all electronics larger than a smartphone in their checked luggage.

In addition to laptops, electronic devices that fall into this category include portable DVD players, tablets, travel printers, scanners, cameras, and e-readers.

The ban remains in effect at the following airports: Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Cairo International Airport, Queen Alia International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Mohammed V Airport, Hamad International Airport, King Khalid International Airport, King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, and Ataturk International Airport.

Although our laptops and other electronics are allowed on European flights for now, it won't be surprising if other regulations are proposed or implemented in the future. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the issue remains "on the table."

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

What You Need To Know About Vero, The Latest Hot Social Network

Real Women Share Their Love Of Gaming & The Reasons Why They Play

Are We Entering A New Era Of Celebrity Impact On Social Media?

Did you know that 80% of countries around the world still have no ban against animal testing in cosmetics? If the answer's no, perhaps that’s because the European Union banned it back in 2013, so for us EU-dwellers the notion of it is as outdated as it is cruel. But unfortunately it’s still going on in places such as Russia, China, the USA, Australia and Brazil.

That’s why The Body Shop has teamed up with longtime allies Cruelty Free International to launch FAAT – Forever Against Animal Testing. “The aim of the campaign is to get a global ban on the testing of cosmetics on animals. Since the EU’s ban in 2013, we’ve seen a number of other countries – from India to New Zealand – take up the challenge, introducing their own legislation. We feel now is the time for a global ban,” Michelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International explains. “In order to achieve that, we’re calling on the United Nations to implement an international convention to end testing once and for all. It’s a global call to citizens around the world.”

This isn’t new territory for the ethical beauty brand and leading organisation. Back in 1989, The Body Shop founder and tireless campaigner Anita Roddick fought back against a draft directive by the EU that would have made it compulsory for animal testing to be carried out by companies. “We really kicked, screamed, and shouted about that,” Jessie Macneil-Brown, Senior Manager International Campaigns and Corporate Responsibility at The Body Shop tells me. “The way we campaign is by using our stores and communications platforms to tell customers and the general public what we’re passionate about. I come from grassroots campaigning, and having 66 countries, 3,000 stores, 22,000 staff to get your message across is really powerful.”

Aiming to get 8 million signatures in order to bring the campaign to the UN’s front bench could be seen as ambitious, but it’s not the first time such a feat has been achieved. “In 2012 I led a campaign – our biggest to date – against human trafficking, and we secured 7 million signatures globally. When you get that many it really opens the door to politicians. The UN said it was the perfect model for campaigning: we had businesses paired with NGOs and we got over 20 governments to change their laws.”

There’s solid proof that consumers want ethical beauty – it was the number one concern for The Body Shop customers in a survey last year – so why, in 2017, hasn’t this been rectified yet? It seems that there is a disconnect between the customer and what goes on behind closed doors. “This is a hidden secret in the beauty industry, people just don’t realise it still happens. We’ve estimated that it could be half a million animals being killed – that’s 1,400 animals a day,” Michelle tells me. “This includes shaving the backs of animals to test skin reactions, exposing animals to very high chemical dosages to see how many will die, and there’s the notorious Draize eye irritancy test, which is tested on rabbits.”

What’s truly tragic is that there are proven cruelty-free ways to trial makeup and skincare. “The tragedy is that there are cheaper and more effective alternatives based on reconstituted human skin, or the latest computer technology – we’ve seen such positive advances, making us even more determined,” Michelle explains. Ethics aside, animal testing only predicts human reactions by 40-60%, while alternatives are accurate 80% of the time.

So what can you do to end animal testing in cosmetics? “Consumers can do two things – they can shop cruelty-free, and to do that they should buy products from companies that only have the leaping bunny symbol – the global accreditation symbol that means that products and ingredients are not tested. The second thing is to sign the petition, get active, and tell your government that this must come to an end. It’s crazy that we are still having to fight. We can’t afford to wait for the slowest country in the world to catch up – we need to put animal testing in cosmetics into the history books.”

As Jessie rightly says, “the 2013 ban hasn’t hindered the industry, and the world hasn’t caved in – in fact, the beauty industry has gone from strength to strength.” Surely we’ll want to be able to look back in years to come and know that in 2017 we ended such an outdated and cruel method – but the only way to do so is to back the campaign now.

Sign the petitionhere.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

I Got My Spider Veins Injected — & The Results Were Crazy

7 Conditions That Can Cause Skin Redness & How To Treat Them

In The Red: The Lowdown On Rosacea