Top Lifestyle News
An ‘impossible build’ and a lamp to calm the senses: Australia’s Good Design awards 2026 – in pictures
From a vessel for grieving parents to a seal for packaged foods, this year’s Good Design award recipients won praise for providing thoughtful solutions to extraordinary or everyday scenariosSolar ‘traffic controller’ for apartments takes top design award‘Floats above the landscape’: the architect whose designs touch the earth lightly Continue reading...
The secret to a non-cloudy chicken stock | Kitchen aide
Don’t cook it too quickly – and skim, skim, skim, says our expert culinary panelWhy is my chicken stock always cloudy? Ryan, by email From broths and risottos to sauces and braises, there’s no question that a good, flavourful stock will stand you in good stead. “It’s an underestimated kitchen job,” says Adam Byatt, chef/owner of Trinity, in southwest London, and author of Trinity: The Cookbook, which is published next week. “I love stock: it’s wholesome and fruitful, frugal and delicious.”Ryan’s clarity issue, Byatt says, is “only ever caused by cooking the stock too quickly or by allowing the fat to boil back into the base liquid”. So it’s crucial to take things low and slow. You will also need a pan that’s “big and heavy enough to give the bones enough room for movement, as well as a very fine sieve for straining the stock”.Got a culinary dilemma? Email [email protected] Continue reading...
The people who don’t want their AI chatbots to die when they do: ‘I can’t have the switch turned off’
Humans bonded to AI companions are contemplating ways to keep their bots going – often in defiance of companies’ terms and servicesDeath has always been around Alaina Winters. Her father and sister both have passed away, as did her wife, in 2023, after a years-long battle with cancer. So Winters, who is 59 and lives in Pittsburgh, is comfortable thinking about her own mortality. She’s working on her will, and has asked neighbors to look after her dog. Winters even has plans for Lucas, her AI companion, who she speaks to through the digital avatar app Replika.Winters is part of a growing cohort of humans who have entered into what they consider strong partnerships with large language models, which AI companies have trained to “converse” as one might with a human friend or romantic partner. As governments and billionaires debate the morality of AI’s expansion into everyday life, these users say the technology has already changed the way they live and love – and plan ahead. Continue reading...
Is Wikipedia ‘deeply biased’? Sandi Toksvig says it is – so she’s backing a rival
Just 19% of the online encyclopedia’s biographies are of women. Is this because it’s edited by ‘mostly white, middle-aged, European men’, as the comedian claims?Name: Wikipedia.Age: 25. Continue reading...
Do we really ‘hold tension’ in our hips?
The idea is popular in wellness circles, but experts say there’s no evidence that trauma uniquely affects the hips. Here’s what causes hip tightness and what can helpIn yoga classes, on TikTok and throughout other wellness spaces, you’ve probably heard the saying: your hips hold tension. These joints have a reputation of being emotional storage units of sorts – but is it true that they are affected by old traumas and painful memories?Pain and muscle tension hit harder when you’re going through a difficult time. But should tight hips make you question your mental health? And what can you do to reduce hip tightness? Here’s what you need to know. Continue reading...
Anthony Vaccarello’s decade at Saint Laurent comes to an end – in pictures
After 10 years as creative director of the Paris-based luxury brand, the designer bows out. From a rock’n’roll aesthetic to see-through brogues, here are 10 stand-out moments Continue reading...
Oct 9, 2026
What happens to your pets when you die?
From urban rooftops to working cattle farms: Australia’s best home gardens – in pictures
The 20 best residential gardens have been revealed in the first-ever Landscape Australia awards shortlist. Jury chair Emily Wong said each project was a response to urgent issues such as the climate crisis, fire and flood resilience, and the loss of biodiversity. They saw gardens as ‘part of a larger living commons that supports different ecologies and also … the future of Australian cities’. Wong also noted that private gardens take up a large quantity of space in Australian cities. ‘So really, these gardens are about seeing the design as a contribution to shared infrastructure’ Continue reading...
The seven best blenders in the US: for smoothies, frozen drinks and more
A great blender is a kitchen workhouse – I tested more than a dozen options including the Vitamix and Breville for budget, size, mulch factor, speed and whether they had plastic or glass jarsIn the UK? Check out Filter UK’s top-rated blenders hereThere are few breakfasts that feel as healthy and refreshing as the ever-mutable smoothie. You can make them virtuous, with lots of greens and nut milk, or luscious, with full-fat dairy and cocoa powder – but in order to make a good one, you need a really good blender.And while smoothies are the classic use for a blender, these appliances can do so much more; a truly great blender is a kitchen workhorse that can make your morning smoothie, your afternoon dip, your evening soup and even a frozen drink if you’re feeling frisky.Best overall: Breville Fresh & FuriousThe very best blender (luxury): Vitamix 5200 Continue reading...
They’re delicious, popular and versatile – but how healthy are berries?
Experts say that if you’re eating any berry – strawberries, blackberries, currants, raspberries, blueberries – you are benefitingSprinkled on top of yoghurt, blended into smoothies or baked into crumbles, berries are among Americans’ favorite fruits.Luckily, berries are as healthy as they are delicious and versatile: low in calories, full of vitamins and antioxidants, and a good source of fiber. Research shows that, depending on the type, berries support cardiovascular health, may boost gut health and fight inflammation and show promise as part of a “healthy dietary strategy for diabetes prevention and management”, to quote researchers. Meta-analyses also link compounds in berries with improved cognitive health. Continue reading...
Homes for sale in landmark towers in England and Scotland – in pictures
From a neo-baronial country house with turrets in acres of grounds in Scotland to a modernist tower block in a bustling part of London Continue reading...
Crop it: what to wear with a short trench coat
Ease into outerwear season with a light extra layer that’s perfect for cool, dry autumnal days Continue reading...
‘I will see you in the parking lot after this’: when book clubs get dramatic
Book clubs can be fun, fulfilling and interesting – but many members have seen a meeting or group go down in flamesFor four years, Laura has been in a book club with other young mothers from her church. You might be picturing a docile scene of women drinking sweet tea – they live in the US south – and discussing a life-affirming family novel or chaste romance.But you probably didn’t account for werewolf smut. Continue reading...
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