7 d. ago I trust Which? to help me choose a washing machine. But I have my own views on kitchen roll and toilet paper | Adrian Chiles

I’m in awe of the organisation’s rigorous approach to product testing. That doesn’t mean I need it for everythingI don’t buy much of any value without consulting Which?. I choose to believe that Which? – wow, that question mark is annoying when you’re trying to write about Which? – is different. I choose to believe that Which? has the resources to test things properly and honestly. Yes, you can click through to places where you can buy the recommended item, but to that I turn a blind eye. I have to. Having spent so much on Which?’s say-so, I can’t face the possibility that I’ve been too trusting.I’ve only recently discovered that it’s not just big, pricey things, such as washing machines and headphones, that Which? spends its time assessing. I recently chanced upon its review of kitchen rolls. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d clicked through to buy several rolls of the Costco Kirkland Signature kitchen roll towel, which seems like too many words for something so mundane. I must c...

Politics

8 d. ago DIY gardeners full of praise for fence painting machine that 'saves so much time'

With the Wagner Fence and Decking Paint Sprayer, fence painting just got a whole lot easier. It's suitable for all standard solvent or water-based fence paint, oil, stain, varnish, wood preservatives, and treatment-so there's no need to buy specialist paint

Politics

9 d. ago Exploring London’s Royal Observatory, the capital’s original time machine

Exploring London’s Royal Observatory, the capital’s original time machine  Financial Times

Politics

9 d. ago Cheapest times to use your washing machine throughout the day to save on energy bills

An expert has shared the best time to put on your washing machine to help reduce energy costs

Science

1 week ago Time Travel is Dangerous review – likable mockumentary is Back to the Future meets Bargain Hunt

Real-life vintage shop owners Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson raid the past for sellable trinkets in this charmingly funny, quintessentially British comedyHere is a very silly and very likable British mockumentary, one that – like Ruth and Megan, the two real-life Muswell Hill vintage-shop mavens at its centre – lovingly mixes and matches multifarious styles. Director and co-writer Chris Reading adopts a little The Office deadpan, some Shaun of the Dead bathos, a heap of Terry Gilliam, and even shoplifts a shot from Wes Anderson. If the resulting low-budget assemblage still bears these nametags and has the odd stray thread showing, it also has a persistent charm of its own.The ChaChaCha vintage emporium (which really exists) is limping along until owners Ruth (Ruth Syratt) and Megan (Megan Stevenson) stumble on a time machine in the form of a souped-up bumper car – and thus an infinite supply of merchandise from whichever epoch they desire. It transpires the gizmo was invented by Ra...

Politics

2 w. ago Liverpool produced their worst cup final performance in a lifetime

LEWIS STEELE AT WEMBLEY: The Arne Slot machine malfunctioned at the worst time possible, following up their European exit with a Carabao Cup final defeat.

Politics

2 w. ago There is no hiding that this Carabao Cup defeat was the worst display from a Liverpool side in a final for a long time

LEWIS STEELE AT WEMBLEY: The Arne Slot machine malfunctioned at the worst time possible, following up their European exit with a Carabao Cup final defeat.

Politics

2 w. ago Lewis Hamilton admits Australian GP disadvantage as weather forecast makes Brit nervous

Lewis Hamilton will start the Australian Grand Prix from eighth on the grid and faces the prospect of racing his new Ferrari machine for the first time on a wet Albert Park track

Politics

2 w. ago The rise of Hot Dub Time Machine: ‘No matter how good a DJ is, you’re still pretending to be a musician’

Tom Lowndes was a sound designer on McLeod’s Daughters before reinventing himself as a ‘time-travelling DJ’ who fast became a global festival phenomenonGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailTom Lowndes wants to tell me a theory.“I think DJing is the professional wrestling of the music industry,” he says. “Wrestling, in the end, no matter how good it is, it’s still people pretending to fight. The DJ, no matter how good you are, you’re still pretending to be a musician.”Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Woman feels 'embarrassed' after looking inside coffee machine tank

A woman felt sick when she opened her coffee machine up for the first time in a while – and found something she wasn't expecting. It's become a cautionary tale to others

Events

3 w. ago Cyclone Alfred live updates: Brisbane, Queensland and NSW BoM path tracking map; landfall time and category; weather forecasts TC Alfred rain and flooding warnings – latest Australia news

BoM path tracker predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, with impact to be felt from Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast to Murwillumbah, Byron Bay and Ballina in NSW. Follow live news and the latest updates about Tropical Cyclone Alfred.Brisbane flood map: suburbs at risk during Cyclone AlfredSend us your photographs and videos of Cyclone AlfredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWelfare recipients told to perform mutual obligations as cyclone bears downWe have a news story this morning about the impact the cyclone is already having on life in Queensland.Fallen trees and giant stands of bamboo blocked the single road to our farm until the army and council brought heavy machinery to clear a path some time after.We were without running water or power for days, maybe weeks, the packing shed a makeshift kitchen where we ate meals cooked off a gas barbecue and drank instant coffee made with rainwater and UHT m...

Events

3 w. ago Cyclone Alfred live updates: Brisbane city CBD deserted; power outages across Gold Coast; BoM tracking map and weather forecast shows flood risk for Queensland and northern NSW – latest news

BoM path track map predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates todayBrisbane flood map: suburbs at risk during Cyclone AlfredWhy did TC Alfred slow down on its path towards the east coast?Send us your photographs and videos of Cyclone AlfredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWelfare recipients told to perform mutual obligations as cyclone bears downWe have a news story this morning about the impact the cyclone is already having on life in Queensland.Fallen trees and giant stands of bamboo blocked the single road to our farm until the army and council brought heavy machinery to clear a path some time after.We were without running water or power for days, maybe weeks, the packing shed a makeshift kitchen where we ate meals cooked off a gas barbecue and drank instant coffee made with rainwater and UHT milk to the hum of a generator....

Events

3 w. ago Cyclone Alfred live updates: Brisbane city centre deserted; power outages across Gold Coast; BoM tracking map and weather forecast shows flood risk for Queensland and northern NSW – latest news

BoM path track map predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates todayBrisbane flood map: suburbs at risk during Cyclone AlfredWhy did TC Alfred slow down on its path towards the east coast?Send us your photographs and videos of Cyclone AlfredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWelfare recipients told to perform mutual obligations as cyclone bears downWe have a news story this morning about the impact the cyclone is already having on life in Queensland.Fallen trees and giant stands of bamboo blocked the single road to our farm until the army and council brought heavy machinery to clear a path some time after.We were without running water or power for days, maybe weeks, the packing shed a makeshift kitchen where we ate meals cooked off a gas barbecue and drank instant coffee made with rainwater and UHT milk to the hum of a generator....

Events

3 w. ago Cyclone Alfred live updates: BoM tracking map forecast for Brisbane, SE Queensland and northern NSW; TC Alfred flooding warnings and power outages – latest news

BoM path track map predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates todayBrisbane flood map: suburbs at risk during Cyclone AlfredWhy did TC Alfred slow down on its path towards the east coast?Send us your photographs and videos of Cyclone AlfredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWelfare recipients told to perform mutual obligations as cyclone bears downWe have a news story this morning about the impact the cyclone is already having on life in Queensland.Fallen trees and giant stands of bamboo blocked the single road to our farm until the army and council brought heavy machinery to clear a path some time after.We were without running water or power for days, maybe weeks, the packing shed a makeshift kitchen where we ate meals cooked off a gas barbecue and drank instant coffee made with rainwater and UHT milk to the hum of a generator....

Events

4 w. ago ANDREW GRIFFITH: In Labour's war on business, it's working people who'll pay the price

Today, Labour has reminded us all why it will always be the anti-business party. The Employment Rights Bill is the closest thing Keir Starmer has to a time machine.

Economics