Our resident closet thinker, Justine Picardie, explains how to search for the perfect party dress this Christmas…

Perfect party wear: (from left to right) Satin prom dress, £50, by topshop (0845 121 4519). Silk off-the-shoulder dress, £560, by marc jacobs, from net-a-porter.com and Satin sleeveless dress, £175, by whistles (whistles.co.uk) Photo: FULL STOP

It might seem inappropriate to be discussing party dresses in an era of economic gloom; but even so, having just enjoyed a night out at a friend’s birthday party, I was reminded of the pleasure to be had in getting dressed up after several months of downcast anxiety.

When a Santa hat was placed on a spire at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, the joke was lost on authorities who had it removed because it was a risk to health and safety.

By Alastair Jamieson

The hat is thought to have been put on the spire as a practical joke Photo: GEOFF ROBINSON

A team of 10 firefighters using two fire engines and a support vehicle with a hydraulic platform spent an hour lowering the seasonal headgear, which had been fastened to a 60ft spire about the college entrance known for centuries as the Gate of Humility.

The rising stars of YouTube.
By Claudine Beaumont

YouTube rising star: SimonsCat is one of the most successful animation outfits on YouTube

Women will be scanned to see if wearing high heels poses a health risk.

Ouch!: wearing high heels leads to foot injuries Photo: AP

Scientists will examine women who regularly wear stilettos and compare how different types of footwear influence the walks of those who repeatedly wear two inch plus heels.

And they will measure changes in wearers’ leg muscles using ultrasound and MRI scans.

British women spent £30million last year in corrective foot surgery, to fix the damage caused by heels.

Along with its sultry climate, atmospheric Malacca boasts an intriguing history, unusual food and a lively nightlife, says Rhymer Rigby.

By Rhymer Rigby

Night falls in the characterful Chinatown district of Malacca Photo: GETTY IMAGES

A riverboat wends its way up the Malacca River Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Members of the Il Divo group
©AFP/File - Laurent Fievet

LONDON (AFP) - Pop opera quartet Il Divo topped the British charts with their new album “The Promise,” knocking Girls Aloud off the number one spot in a top 10 dominated by old classics.

Welsh rockers Stereophonics went straight in at number two with “Best Of — Decade in the Sun,” pushing the girls’ “Out of Control” into third place.

After eight weeks in the charts, Tennessee’s Kings of Leon are staying the course, jumping two places to four with their new album “Only by Night.”