lifestyle news

After 50 years of playing video games, I’m finally starring in one

Voicing the main character in Black Tides Draga’s Wake led to me making the kinds of noises I haven’t made since my honeymoon but also one of my favourite moments as a father “I listen to you on the radio and I keep hearing your voice in my head!” Not a typical opening to a creative partnership, but that is how Greg Strangis introduced himself to me 16 months ago, when he asked me to come to his garage in the middle of nowhere and have a look at a game he was making called Black Tides Draga’s Wake.

Over 300 households displaced by floods in Tana River

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 30 – More than 300 households have been displaced by flooding in Tana River County following heavy rains along Kenya’s Coast. The Kenya Red Cross says the overflow of Tulu and Minjila dams in Tana Delta has sent floodwaters into villages and homes, affecting 3,156 additional households.

The hill I will die on: Dumplings are the ultimate proof of our common humanity

Across nations and classes, there is one thing we can all agree on – that putting delicious things inside dough is a good idea On a recent Saturday morning in Paris, I made a life-changing discovery. Joseph de Weck is an associate fellow with the German Council on Foreign Relations and writes for Guardian Europe from Zürich and Paris Continue reading...

‘Expect goosebumps!‘: to celebrate Halloween, readers choose the spookiest places in the UK

From a ghostly hill fort on the South Downs to a haunted farmhouse in remote Northern Ireland, you guide us to some frightfully scary places • Tell us about an escape in the wilds of Scotland – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher Dunnottar Castle, perched on cliffs above the crashing North Sea, is one of Scotland’s eeriest places. With my Fraser ancestry, the castle’s history feels especially poignant.

Mahmood infuriates fellow ministers by failing to reveal impact of UK migration shake-up

Home secretary’s colleagues fear homelessness will rise as a result of changes to the asylum system Shabana Mahmood has infuriated ministerial colleagues by failing to share what they see as crucial information about the impact of her migration changes. Sources say the home secretary has repeatedly refused to reveal how much she expects homelessness to rise as a result of changes to the asylum system.

DIY socks, messy collars and cummerbunds: nine wardrobe updates from the catwalks

Follow our frugal guide to pinch the biggest autumn/winter ‘26 catwalk trends for free • Don’t get Fashion Statement delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Dark mornings, darker evenings and the end of Celebrity Traitors.

Black Doves to Stick: the seven best shows to stream this week

Plus, Owen Wilson is back as charming washed-up golf pro Pryce Cahill Helen Webb (Keira Knightley) is now the prime minister’s wife. The Black Doves spy ring is now in chaos after a key disappearance and, worse still, Sam (Ben Whishaw) has become a loose cannon, forced to take on hit jobs without much due diligence.

UK denies entry to Swedish academic due to speak at Palestine event

Home Office cancels Andreas Malm's planned travel to the UK, saying his presence 'not conducive to the public good'.

Helen Goh’s recipe for toffee apple hand pies

Perfect Bonfire Night fodder These plump and rustic little parcels are perfect for Bonfire Night: warming, portable and, wrapped in a napkin and held in one hand, easy to eat outdoors. The small amount of miso in the filling deepens the toffee flavour and rounds out the sweetness, without making it taste too savoury or funky.

Sitla Estate, Mukteshwar: Why this 40 acre Himalayan retreat has just 12 rooms

After leaving Mumbai in 1998, Vikram Maira turned his family’s holiday home and orchard in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon hills into an intimate Himalayan retreat where thoughtful cooking, a close-knit local team and personal attention matter more than expansion

SPECIAL REPORT: What are Nigerians eating? Tracing TELA maize from farms to dinner tables (I)

SPECIAL REPORT: What are Nigerians eating? A 13-month PREMIUM TIMES investigation traced Nigeria’s first genetically modified maize from research laboratories to farms, markets and household kitchens, finding growing adoption among farmers, no verified evidence linking the crop to health problems, and widespread consumer ignorance about what they are eating.

Boater rescues tired wallaby swimming out to sea more than 100m offshore

When seagulls started madly squawking near the Portland marina in western Victoria, Matt Smith thought they'd found a dog in the water. He was in for a surprise.

Dream cruise derailed as fuel crisis puts pressure on global operators

A Queensland woman has handed over $63,500 from her superannuation for a dream retirement at sea — only to watch it unravel before she even stepped onboard with the Odyssey cruise ship now stuck in Cambodia.

Loving someone with dementia is hilarious and heartbreaking in new show

How do you care for the ones that once cared for us? This bracing and hilarious new play is inspired by the life of a renowned linguist and academic.

El Niño-driven drought in Papua New Guinea a ‘national crisis’ as rivers dry up and local farms fail

As many as 8 million people have been affected by food shortages, electricity blackouts and health clinic closures Extreme drought driven by an historic El Niño is affecting as many as 8 million people in Papua New Guinea, causing a cascade of issues from shortages of food and water, to electricity scarcity and schooling disruption. An influential coalition that includes churches, trade unions and business groups has said the Pacific nation is in the midst of a “national crisis”, but there appears to be “no coordinated plan to protect vulnerable communities from the worsening impacts of El Niñ

Youth theatre raises more than $68k to carry forward 50-year legacy

Shopfront Arts Co-Op, Australia's oldest and only youth-owned and led theatre, celebrated 50 years this month with an act-a-thon fundraiser and youth conference at the Sydney Opera House.

‘I live with a ghost’: Japan’s haunted homes attract bargain hunters

But in rural Kagoshima, in Japan’s southwest, it let Diane Tincher buy a large three-bedroom house for about half the asking price. Diane Tincher says she got a 50% reduction on her home in rural Japan While researching the house, Tincher found it on a website called Oshimal

Food Safety officials conduct State-wide inspection at 45 packaged drinking water units; notices issued to 24

32 water samples sent for testing; misbranded water seized in Mysuru and Davangere; a unit in Mulbagal shut down

Bram Stoker’s Dracula audiobook review – cinematic horror with an A-list cast

Jonathan Bailey, Ella Purnell, Aimee-Lou Wood, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more bring shock and gore to an immersive retelling with real bite Do we really need another retelling of Bram Stoker’s fabled horror novel, which has already yielded multiple films, plays and radio dramas? Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey is smooth and charismatic as the eponymous count who invites a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker (Louis Partridge), to his castle in Transylvania to assist him with the sale of a property.

Daily Insight for CEOs: Strengthening the CEO’s Leadership Legacy

By Ernest De-Graft Egyir Insight. Ernest De-Graft Egyir, CEO advisor, Thought Leader and Founding CEO of Chief Executives Network Ghana, convenes the Ghana CEO Summit and served on Ghana’s Economic Dialogue Planning Committee.

My phone thinks my boyfriend is my ‘best friend’. It’s not alone

My phone thinks my boyfriend is my ‘best friend’. Queer identity shouldn’t be treated as abnormal My boyfriend and I invented a game on our recent trip to Italy.

1,671 cases of ticketless travel detected in trains in Thiruvananthapuram division, ₹13 lakh penalty imposed

Capital FM, Kenya Airways ink deal covering travel, lifestyle and sustainability

Kenya Airways General Manager for Digital, Brand and Marketing Martin Gitonga and Capital FM Managing Director Symon Bargurei said the partnership would explore opportunities for joint marketing, events, audience engagement and storytelling. Kenya Airways General Manager for Digital, Brand and Marketing Martin Gitonga (left) and Capital FM Managing Director Symon Bargurei (right) said the partnership would explore opportunities for joint marketing, events, audience engagement and storytelling/CFM Bargurei noted Capital FM was entering a new phase focused on expanding its reach and…

Vanguard staff discovers expired NAFDAC certification on Custard Pie

By Efe Onodjae A Vanguard staff member has raised concerns over food safety after discovering that the NAFDAC certification of a WAO Custard Pie bought from a shop in Lagos had expired. The verification result identified the manufacturer as Dreamers Food Limited and listed December 11, 2024, as the certification’s expiry date.