3 d. ago Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘vagina candle’ is still burning bright – at five times the original price | Arwa Mahdawi

In the latest twist in the Goop candle saga, the famous creation, which retailed at $75 in 2020, is now on offer at $400 on eBay. Not bad for a product that started out as a jokeI have a foolproof way to make millions. It’s a little tricky to execute, but hear me out, OK? Step one: find a time machine. Step two: travel back to 2020. Step three: quickly, before they all get nabbed, buy the entire stock of the This Smells Like My Vagina candle that Gwyneth Paltrow notoriously sold on Goop for $75 a pop. Then come back to 2025 and sell them on eBay for $400 each. Seriously, that’s what they are going for now. We’re talking a 433% return!How do I know this? Not, to be clear, because I am spending my evenings searching for vagina-scented candles. No, I know this because the chatter around Paltrow’s candle is impossible to fully extinguish; it keeps popping back up in the news. In 2021, for example, there was a big hoo-hah because a Texas man claimed that the candle exploded on his bedsid...

Events

3 d. ago Beautiful town has hardly any tourists as everyone rushes to the Lake District

Grange-over-Sands is perched on the edge of Morecambe Bay and offers a delightful step back in time for day-trippers. The Victorian and Edwardian influences are still evident

Politics

3 d. ago ‘We can’t step back in time’: a new book about eco anxiety and climate change

University professor’s visit to ancestral lands in China unleashes waves of ‘eco anxiety’ and results in new book Red PocketsWhen university professor Alice Mah visited her family’s ancestral village for the first time in 2018, she knew it would not be a grand homecoming; her father’s lack of interest in ever making the trip to South China suggested that much. But what she did not expect was that it would unleash waves of eco anxiety which would follow her back to the UK, where she lives.Documented in her new book Red Pockets, Mah confronts her family’s past – the site where her ancestral home used to be, untended graves and the descendants of the villagers who remained. This presents her with a whole host of debts and the impossibility of ever really repaying them. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘There’s a lot we can’t undo’: how an author’s visit to ancestral home prompted a wave of eco anxiety

Alice Mah’s book explores cultural and ecological loss through the lens of a trip to south ChinaWhen Alice Mah, a university professor, visited her family’s ancestral village for the first time in 2018, she knew it would not be a grand homecoming. Her father’s lack of interest in ever making the trip to south China had suggested that much. But what she did not know was that it would unleash waves of eco anxiety that would follow her back to the UK.As documented in her new book Red Pockets, Mah confronts her family’s past – the site where her ancestral home used to be, untended graves and the descendants of the villagers who remained. This presents her with a whole host of debts and the impossibility of ever really repaying them. Continue reading...

Culture

4 d. ago London’s Guinness Microbrewery in Covent Garden Just Got a Step Closer to Opening

London’s Guinness Microbrewery in Covent Garden Just Got a Step Closer to Opening  Time Out

Politics

8 d. ago Creepy theme park abandoned after nuclear disaster looks like Wild West 'left to rot'

An intrepid traveller managed to locate an abandoned theme park in Japan – but appeared to take a huge step back in time and stumbled upon the US Wild West remade

Events

1 week ago Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy welcomes Putin calls for talks but says Russia must agree to ‘full, lasting, reliable’ ceasefire

In late-night address in Moscow, Russian president dismissed calls by European leaders for 30-day ceasefire to start on MondayVladimir Putin’s proposal for “direct talks” with Kyiv came hours after leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland travelled to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.As my colleague Shaun Walker notes in this story, the European leaders told the Russian president to sign up to an unconditional ceasefire by Monday or face increased sanctions and weapons transfers to Ukraine.It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire. There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Career change: Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart and Harris Dickinson to premiere directorial debuts at Cannes

Eleanor the Great, The Chronology of Water and Urchin are all in the festival’s prestigious Un Certain Regard sidebar. A first step to being the next Clint Eastwood?First-time directors with films premiering at Cannes next week would be forgiven for feeling nervous. But three of the directors who are unveiling their debut features in France are less likely than their peers to be quaking as they approach the red carpet.Actors Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart and Harris Dickinson are all among the film-makers with movies screening in Cannes’ prestigious sidebar Un Certain Regard over the next 10 days. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Zoe Ball wows in glitzy red midi dress as she makes a rare appearance at VE day celebrations following her return to BBC Radio 2 after taking a step back to focus on time with family

Zoe Ball looked sensational as she made a rare appearance at the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday. 

Culture

2 w. ago Take part in Walk Every Day in May campaign to boost your physical and mental health

Initiative being rolled out to coincide with National Walking Month and will highlight the simple yet transformative power of daily activity to showcase how walking can change lives and reveal unexpected discoveries one step at a time.

Politics

2 w. ago Popovich hands over Spurs coaching reins after nearly 30 years: ‘I’m El Jefe now’

NBA’s all-time wins leader suffered stroke in November76-year-old will move into role as team presidentGregg Popovich spoke publicly Monday for the first time since suffering a stroke six months ago, saying that the time was right to step down from his role as San Antonio Spurs head coach.“Things are getting better by the day, but it’s not good enough for what we plan ahead,” Popovich said. “So, it’s time to make this change.” Flanked by Spurs greats Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, the 76-year-old Popovich – speaking far more softly than he has in the past – said his health is improving and that he fully believes in Mitch Johnson, who will replace him as the team’s coach. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago You can get up to 50% off 500 UK attractions this summer by being ‘good’

Not-for-profit, sustainable travel company Good Journey says it is trying to change the way the world travels, one small step at a time - starting right here in the UK

Politics

2 w. ago Plastic surgeon claims to have turned his mom into his sister using surgery... are YOU impressed by results?

Fast approaching 70, Linda Truesdale was keen to look her best. Luckily for her, her cosmetic surgeon son Dr Carl was able to step in and help her turn back the hands of time.

Politics

3 w. ago America tells Musk that they dislike him and don’t think he has helped cut government waste

The unfavorable poll comes as Musk prepares to step back from the Trump administration to devote more time to his businesses

Politics

3 w. ago Stirling Castle to 'step back in time' with events to commemorate 80th anniversary of VE Day

Stirling Castle will host two days of special events to mark 80 years since the Allies' accepted Germany's surrender in 1945.

Politics