8 m. ago The best laptop for you based on your budget: Which? experts tested 244 laptops

A fortnightly look at the best products to buy - as tested by the experts at Which?

Politics

3 h. ago I’m a committed introvert – but no AI will take away the joy I get from other people | Emma Beddington

While it might be soothing to think you could replace social interactions like book clubs with ChatGPT, subcontracting human thought out to a bot will never bring happiness This is depressing: according to the Cut, people are using AI to solve escape room puzzles and cheat at trivia nights. Surely, that is the definition of spoiling your own fun? “Like going into a corn maze and just wanting a straight line to the end,” says one TikToker quoted in the article. There’s also an interview with a keen reader who uses ChatGPT as a book club replacement, scraping the internet and aggregating “stimulating opinions and perspectives”. All well and good (actually, no, it sounds bleak as hell) until he had a character’s death spoilered in the fantasy epic he had been enjoying.Meanwhile, Substack seems to be clogging up with AI-generated essays. The nu-blogging platform is an earnestly artisanal space where writers craft their stuff; subcontracting that to a bot seems like the acme of pointless...

Politics

3 h. ago If you’re feeling anxious, take a moment to pause before pouring that glass of wine | Diane Young

Anxiety can can disrupt relationships, affect sleep and lead to harmful coping behaviours. Early awareness is crucialThe modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their workWhen Mia*, 35, walks into my office, she looks composed and ready to start her day fresh with a counselling session. But having seen Mia for almost half a year now, I know she masks the truth behind her polished facade, and I notice the subtle tension in her shoulders that gives it away.Mia tells me that the night before, she had poured herself “just one glass of wine” to unwind after a long day. One glass became two, then three. It’s a pattern she has grown used to; a quiet ritual that helps her “switch off” from the racing thoughts that flood her mind when the day finally slows down. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago California’s drying Salton Sea harms the lungs of people living nearby, say researchers

Experts suspect that dust from the sea contains endotoxic bacteria membranes caused by fertilizer runoffChemical-laden dust from southern California’s drying Salton Sea is likely harming the lungs of people around the shrinking body of water, and the effects are especially pronounced in children, new peer-reviewed research from the University of California, Irvine, shows.A separate peer-reviewed study from the University of California, Riverside, also found the Salton Sea’s contaminated dust seemed to alter lung microbiome, which could trigger pulmonary issues that have been reported around the lake. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Supermarket pesto named 'the very best' in taste test — no Tesco or M&S

Consumer watchdog Which? has named the best pesto in a blind taste test

Politics

7 h. ago The five common medicines that could be harming your hearing

Hearing loss is a lesser-known but long-lasting side effect of some medications

Politics

9 h. ago It would be dereliction of Borthwick’s duty not to harness Arundell’s raw talent | Gerard Meagher

It is a test of Steve Borthwick’s coaching credentials to develop speedster Henry Arundell into the player he so obviously can becomeSome things never change. Twickenham can always make a hash of the pre-match festivities, Fiji will always take the breath away and there is no substitute for pace in the elite game. If there is one thing that Steve Borthwick takes from this helter-skelter victory over Fiji, it must be Henry Arundell’s 70th-minute try on his first England appearance since the 2023 World Cup. Some way to celebrate his 23rd birthday.Chasing down Marcus Smith’s grubber kick, Arundell gave Fiji’s outside-centre Kalaveti Ravouvou an enormous head start yet still won the foot race. Suffice it to say he does not lose many and at a stroke, the Pacific Islanders were finally put out of sight. There are plenty of caveats, those who will consider hyping up Arundell’s cameo as getting carried away. He was fresh, having just come off the bench whereas Ravouvou was not. One swallow ...

Politics

10 h. ago 'I've finally found the heating product that could save a fortune on my bills'

I tested out SmartAir's radiator fan and was so impressed with the result

Politics

17 h. ago Cheapest way to heat your home this winter – and it could save you £240

THE Energy Saving Trust has shared eight practical ways to keep your home warm and energy-efficient this winter. From draught-proofing to insulation upgrades, each measure comes with typical costs, savings, and payback times to help you make informed choices. Draught-proofing your home is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save energy. Around...

Society

17 h. ago Scottish Finance Secretary requests urgent meeting with Chancellor before Budget

Shona Robison has asked to meet Rachel Reeves where she will set out her three tests for the upcoming Budget.

Economics

18 h. ago Is it better to be occasionally brilliant or consistently good? Ask the Wallabies | Daniel Gallan

Australia show flashes of greatness, but costly collapses threaten the idea of a revival. They need to find their rhythmIs it better to be a consistently good team or an occasionally brilliant one? We’ll find out by the end of Australia’s European tour. But now, after a 26–19 loss to Italy in Udine – their second defeat in as many matches on this crucial trip – the answer seems obvious. Because despite the Wallabies’ flashes of brilliance throughout the Joe Schmidt era, their inability to deliver steadily could yet prove costly.At present, the Wallabies are ranked seventh on World Rugby’s charts. If that doesn’t change, the hosts of the 2027 World Cup will be drawn alongside one of the top six teams in the group phase. Even if they progress, Australia would likely face another stiff challenge at the first knockout stage. That’s not the kind of jeopardy a rugby nation of this pedigree should be flirting with. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Donald Trump's city destroying nuclear missile 'spotted for the first time' during test flight

The AGM-181 LRSO, billed as the Air Force's next-generation stealth nuclear cruise missile, is poised to arm both the B-52 and the newly built B-21 stealth bomber

Events

19 h. ago Madeleine McCann fantasist Julia Wandelt's brutal message to her own dad

Madeleine McCann fantasist Julia Wandelt was found guilty of harassing the McCann family after she begged for a DNA test and sent them sinister letters and messages

Politics

19 h. ago Freewheeling England shake off the shackles to trump Fiji at their own game | Andy Bull

Steve Borthwick’s men were invited to a dance and had all the moves, reacting to a classic try with one of their ownSomething is happening in south-west London. The statistics will give you a hint of it – England have won nine Tests in a row and haven’t lost at home all year – but the sight of the way they played here in the second half against Fiji says more about what’s going on than the numbers do.England, whisper it, turned in a brilliantly entertaining 40 minutes of freewheeling rugby against a Fiji team who are a hell of a lot better than their ninth-placed standing in the world rankings suggests. The Fijians invited England to a dance, and, glory be, Steve Borthwick’s team were delighted to take them up on it. You can only wonder what Borthwick made of it from his spot up in the coaches’ row. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago Mirror campaign win as Nuke test heroes are finally honoured

Veterans ordered to spy on French and Chinese nuclear weapons will finally get a medal - but questions remain over whether they were used in human experiments

Politics

21 h. ago Louis Lynagh inspires dramatic Italy win to ramp up Australia misery

Italy 26-19 AustraliaWallaby legend Michael Lynagh’s son inspires famous winItaly upset Australia with a come-from-behind 26-19 victory on Saturday with the son of a Wallaby great, Louis Lynagh, scoring one try and Australian-born winger Monty Ioane the other to snatch a famous win for the hosts.Lynagh, born in Italy when his father, Michael, played for Treviso, and Melbourne-born Ioane proved Italy’s heroes as they won for only the second time in 20 tests against the Wallabies. Continue reading...

Events

24 h. ago England suffer Ashes series whitewash as Reece Wash stars again for Australia

England 8-30 Australia: Walsh scored twice in an all-too-easy victory in the third and final Ashes Test

Events

26 h. ago 'Should you invest in property or the stock market? My answer may surprise you'

Warren Shute is a multi award-winning Chartered Financial Planner, Certified Coach, author of The Money Plan, and Sunday Mirror columnist

Economics

26 h. ago I tried three nostalgic British sandwiches for the first time — one was disgusting

I was raised in New Zealand, and moved to the UK last year. Since I've been on this side of the world, I've tried a huge number of different snacks, drinks, meals and sweets, and today, it was time to attempt some classic British sandwiches.

Politics

27 h. ago ‘The idea of building Britain’s largest Christian landmark wasn’t mine – it came to me from God’

The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be twice the height of Angel of the North, and seen by more than 500,000 every day. Alex Ross speaks to the man behind it – and the donor who spent £30m to make this ambitious plan a reality

Politics