5 h. ago Steps stun theatregoers with surprise at musical opening night in Manchester

Fans whooped and cheered as Steps' Faye, Lee, Claire, H and Lisa headed onto the stage

Culture

5 h. ago Erupcja review – Charli xcx gives acting a trial run in shallow friendship drama

Toronto film festival: the star fails to make much of an impression in a slight and unpolished project filmed in Warsaw over the Brat summer of 2024The singer Charli xcx is, by her own admission, a workaholic – no sooner had she released Brat, the most dominant pop album and aesthetic of 2024, than she began work on its sequel, dropped just four months later. Insouciant and party-centric as her image may be, the pop star born Charlotte Aitchison is a sharp student of pop culture; she knows the audience demand for pop stars’ constant reinvention. The next career phase, it seems, is acting, with no less prodigiousness than music; the 33-year-old has seven films in the pipeline as a supporting or lead actor.Charli is neither the full star nor the anchor of Erupcja (Eruption), directed by Pete Ohs, but she will inevitably be the reason most English speakers hear of it. Filmed over a few weeks in Warsaw, Poland, in August 2024, in the heat of Brat summer, Erupcja seems, on paper, like a ...

Events

6 h. ago Is The Ordinary’s $9 hyaluronic acid serum the answer to hydrated, glowy skin?

The lightweight consistency feels impressively luxe for its price point

Politics

7 h. ago I tried Green Chef to see if the organic recipe box was as good as it sounds

These boxes may be ‘consistently satisfying’, but are they worth the price? I find out

Politics

8 h. ago I’ve tested dozens of mattresses — and I can confirm Saatva’s is a dream to sleep on

Promising to be perfect for couples who can’t agree on firmness, I tested the classic mattress in luxury firm

Politics

8 h. ago Alcaraz and Djokovic’s contrasting careers at forefront in scintillating semi

The pair, born 16 years apart, will have met at every single major when they enter Arthur Ashe Stadium on FridayCarlos Alcaraz took his final leave from Rod Laver Arena this year consumed by frustration. Losing at the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year, was painful enough, but Alcaraz’s disappointment was particularly down to how he had lost.His opponent, Novak Djokovic, had visibly begun to struggle with a leg injury early in their four-set quarter-final, but instead of focusing on his own game, Alcaraz found himself staring across the net and thinking too much about his opponent’s condition rather than what he needed to win. While the Spaniard’s focus wavered, Djokovic’s difficulties inspired his most offensive, decisive tennis, and he willed himself to a miraculous victory. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Shetland icon lands exciting new role in ‘brilliantly clever’ BBC detective drama

The BBC crime drama has been renewed for a second series, with several big names joining the cast.

Events

10 h. ago Wonderboom 4 review: waterproof Bluetooth speaker now under £70 on Amazon

Sturdy, floatable, and surprisingly powerful, the Wonderboom 4 isn’t perfect — but with Amazon’s deal dropping it under £70, it’s hard to ignore

Economics

11 h. ago I opened the Selfridges beauty advent calendar 2025 – and it’s a treasure trove for make

The calendar costs £250 but is worth more than £1,000

Politics

12 h. ago Olly Murs announces birth of second child as he reveals son's sweet name

He is already a dad to daughter Madison, who was born in April, 2024

Politics

12 h. ago The Voice of Hind Rajab review – docufiction is fierce, vehement and heart

In an audacious move, director Kaouther Ben Hania reconstructs the killing of the five-year-old in Gaza using her real voice as she is bombarded by the Israeli armyThere can be no doubt about which movie has set the Venice film festival ablaze – it is this one, from Tunisian film-maker Kaouther Ben Hania. The Voice of Hind Rajab is about the horrifying ordeal of the five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed in 2024 by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza in her uncle’s car along with six family members, and two paramedics who tried to come to her rescue. Rajab herself, who survived the original assault by the IDF which killed those around her, stayed on the phone for hours to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), desperately begging for help. With startling audacity, Ben Hania has used the real audio recording of Rajab’s heart-wrenching voice, while fictionally reconstructing the drama of the emergency responders in their call-centre office, with real people ...

Politics

12 h. ago Martha’s Rule must be rolled out to maternity care, urges mother of teenager who died of sepsis

Merope Mills says new rapid review service should be available to maternity services ‘to give women a greater voice’

Events

12 h. ago Honda e used car review: Joyously fun city EV is a modern day bargain despite modest range

Stunning interior and stylish design mean this second-hand buy remains one of the best looking EVs n the market

Politics

12 h. ago Three Days in June by Anne Tyler audiobook review – a masterclass in marital disharmony

A mother reflects on the breakdown of her marriage as she attends her daughter’s wedding, in a novella that brilliantly depicts family dynamicsAt the start of Three Days in June, Gail Baines, a 61-year-old teacher, has a meeting with her school head, who informs her she is about to retire. Gail assumes she is next in line for the job, but the head tells her she doesn’t have the people skills and asks if she has considered retirement herself. Affronted, she walks out of the school and from her job without collecting the photo on her desk of her daughter, Debbie, who is about to get married. After Gail gets home, her ex-husband, Max, arrives. He is staying with her for the wedding weekend and tells her he has forgotten to bring a suit – although he has brought a cat. Not for the first time, Gail wonders “why it was that I had so many irritating people in my life”.Set in Baltimore, Anne Tyler’s novella spans the before, during and after of Debbie’s wedding. Told through Gail’...

Politics

12 h. ago Mozart: Six String Quintets album review – deep understanding of these under

(Alpha)Spunicunifait (their name taken from a nonsense word used by Mozart) perform these six quintets with flexibility and easy athleticismFormed by string players from some of Europe’s leading orchestras and ensembles specifically to give historically informed performances of Mozart’s string quintets, Spunicunifait takes its name from a nonsense word used by Mozart in one of his letters, the meaning of which remains a mystery. “We wanted to make a recording that would approach the quintets with the same reverence that [Mozart’s] quartets receive,” they say, and that approach results in performances of the six works that have transparency, flexibility and easy athleticism. There are the five well-known mature quintets, as well as the early B flat work K174, for which Spuncunifait play two versions of its finale. All are composed for a quintet of strings with two violas (unlike Boccherini’s quintets and Schubert’s famous C major quintet, which employ two cellos).The players – Lorenz...

Politics

12 h. ago World Cup qualifying preview and new WSL season kicks off – Football Weekly

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Paul Watson, Jonathan Fadugba and Suzy Wrack to discuss a new Women’s Super League format and the race to reach the 2026 World CupRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On today’s pod: the international break is here, and England’s squad raises more questions than answers. No Trent Alexander-Arnold, no Phil Foden or Jack Grealish, but a surprise return for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and call-ups for Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence. The panel asks how good England must be for us to learn anything new against Andorra before Tuesday’s trip to Serbia. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago A House of Dynamite review: The most exciting movie at Venice Film Festival could lead to Kathryn Bigelow's second Best Director Oscar, writes BRIAN VINER

How might the United States respond in the event of a nuclear attack, with less than 20 minutes before an incoming missile lands on Chicago? 

Culture

14 h. ago This stylish London hotel is close to Theatreland and Piccadilly Circus

This stylish London hotel is close to Theatreland and Piccadilly Circus  The Independent

Society

14 h. ago Thousands of Lloyds Banking Group staff at risk of losing jobs in push for ‘high

The banking group plans to change how it monitors the performance of its employees and manages staff turnover within the business

Events

15 h. ago We Should Have Never Walked On The Moon at the Southbank Centre review: an irresistible rush of horny vibes

Come for discourse, but stay for sex and sociability, the skill and the sweat

Politics