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Rice ‘polenta’ with sausage sauce and rice with pork, lemon and saffron: Pasta Grannies’ Sardinian rice recipes
Context 2h ago

Rice ‘polenta’ with sausage sauce and rice with pork, lemon and saffron: Pasta Grannies’ Sardinian rice recipes

Spoons at the ready for 83-year-old Maria’s rustic risotto with pork and saffron, and Rita’s polenta-style rice with a punchy sauceIf I were to say “Italian rice”, you might well think “risotto” and “the Po Valley”. However, these two recipes come from Sardinia, mainly because I wanted to share a few easy, not-laden-with-rules Italian rice dishes. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘The same struggles as 100 years ago’: exhibition highlights lives of Sami people in Sweden
Good news 3h ago

‘The same struggles as 100 years ago’: exhibition highlights lives of Sami people in Sweden

Show at Kin Museum in Kiruna marks handover of long-awaited report on abuses committed by the state against the Indigenous peopleFrom a detailed multi-perspectival drawing of reindeer to written accounts of belief systems and childbirth, Johan Turi’s work offers unparalleled insight into his life as a Sami person living in northern Sweden at the start of the 20th century.In the face of racist discrimination, land disputes and the spectre of encroaching industry, Turi wanted his 1910 book Muitalus sámiid birra (An Account of the Sami) to set the record straight about the lives of Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Ed Miliband to acknowledge Labour’s former stance on Palestine fell short
Watch 3h ago

Ed Miliband to acknowledge Labour’s former stance on Palestine fell short

Foreign secretary will tell party’s conference ‘we are not here to accept the status quo but to change it’Ed Miliband will tell campaigners and party members who raised the plight of Palestinians they were right that Labour’s approach had not been enough, saying he was heeding the calls of millions of people by imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements.The foreign secretary will tell the Labour party conference that the government will take more explicitly progressive foreign policy positions under Andy Burnham, and that the UK will be a leader among like-minded countries in a new age of diplomacy. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
France’s far-right National Rally surges in Senate elections
Good news 5h ago

France’s far-right National Rally surges in Senate elections

Marine Le Pen hails ‘historic victory’ as her party and allies win enough seats to form caucus just months ahead of presidential pollFrance’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies have secured a record 14 seats in the rightwing-dominated Senate in elections, effectively quadrupling its number in the 348-seat chamber just months before a presidential poll.RN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called the results an “historic victory” after they were announced on Sunday. “The results ‌have exceeded our expectations,” she said. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Mighty Sparrow, the Trinidad and Tobago singer known as the ‘calypso king of the world’, dies aged 91
Watch 7h ago

Mighty Sparrow, the Trinidad and Tobago singer known as the ‘calypso king of the world’, dies aged 91

Slinger Francisco, who performed as the Mighty Sparrow, died on Sunday surrounded by family in New YorkSlinger Francisco, known on stage as the Mighty Sparrow and dubbed the “calypso king of the world”, has died aged 91.Francisco, who got his breakthrough in calypso music with his 1956 hit song Jean and Dinah, died peacefully surrounded by his family in New York on Sunday, his family said in a statement. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Failure to protect free speech could cost Labour votes at next election, says Liberty
Context 8h ago

Failure to protect free speech could cost Labour votes at next election, says Liberty

Polling for rights group shows issue is concern for voters and many feel recent policies have had negative effect Free speech will be a big concern for voters at the next general election, with the government’s current approach on the issue perceived by many to be bad for Britain, polling suggests.Three in five people said a political party’s position on free speech would affect how they voted at a general election. The human rights organisation Liberty, which commissioned the polling from More in Common, claimed the results showed that Labour’s failure to protect free speech could cost it votes. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Hurricane Nolo still threatens Hawaii as Mexico's Baja braces for major Hurricane Polo
Urgent 8h ago

Hurricane Nolo still threatens Hawaii as Mexico's Baja braces for major Hurricane Polo

Hurricane Nolo is moving away from Hawaiian islands but threat of heavy rain, flash floods and strong winds persistsHurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms.Nolo was about 365 miles (585km) south-south-west of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at about 12mph (19kph). But the Hawaii county civil defense agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115mph (165kph). Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Serbia’s populist president Aleksandar Vučić resigns to run for prime minister
Good news 11h ago

Serbia’s populist president Aleksandar Vučić resigns to run for prime minister

Vučić not allowed to seek third presidential term and election will test his grip on rule after widespread protestsSerbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vučić, has resigned to pursue an attempt to become prime minister in an early parliamentary election that will test his firm rule in the Balkan country after nearly two years of protests.Vučić’s second presidential term would otherwise end in May next year. He is banned by the constitution from seeking a third term and said he was resigning to lead his rightwing Serbian Progressive party (SNS) in the 25 October ballot. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Andy Burnham to fight next election with plan for NHS-style care service
Good news 12h ago

Andy Burnham to fight next election with plan for NHS-style care service

PM says he is willing to expend political capital to bring in universal service for England funded by ‘everybody’Analysis: can Labour hang on to Burnham bounce?Andy Burnham will fight the next election with a pledge to finally fix the broken social care system, acknowledging he is willing to expend political capital by asking taxpayers to cover the cost.As Labour’s party conference began in Liverpool, he pledged to “rip the plaster off” to radically transform care, setting out a vision for a universal service that would be free at the point of use for everyone in England. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
The pain of letting go of a loved one’s belongings | Letters
Good news 13h ago

The pain of letting go of a loved one’s belongings | Letters

Readers respond to Polly Hudson’s article about disposing of her late mother’s possessionsReading Polly Hudson’s account of clearing her mother’s house (My mum has died – and every decision I make about her belongings feels wrong, 20 September) made me think about my experience of doing the same. I sort of enjoyed the task, viewing it as the last thing that I could do for my mother, and seeing myself as a curator in reverse.I was determined to recycle as much as possible, feeding the good things through to charity shops and going back later to see what had and hadn’t sold. When one charity shop in the Welsh border town where my mother lived didn’t want her manual typewriter, on the grounds that nobody would have use for it, I took it to a charity shop in London, which snapped it up and put it in the window. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
UN ambassador Waltz says Iran was not negotiating ‘in good faith’ to end war
Urgent 14h ago

UN ambassador Waltz says Iran was not negotiating ‘in good faith’ to end war

Waltz says Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to end war because they ‘were asking for everything up front’The Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations said the US rejected Iran’s proposal to end the ongoing war there because Iranian negotiators “were asking for everything up front”.Echoing comments by Donald Trump on Saturday, the president’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Iran had asked for relief “from billions and billions of sanctions that are going into place” as part of an economic blockade on Iran. The blockade is aimed at putting pressure on Iran to stop its attacks ‌on vessels in the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Swiss voters reject stricter neutrality rules that would have curbed Nato cooperation
Context 16h ago

Swiss voters reject stricter neutrality rules that would have curbed Nato cooperation

70% vote against tightening centuries-old neutrality, which far right said was being eroded by sanctions against RussiaSwiss voters have decisively rejected a proposal for a strict definition of neutrality that would have required Switzerland to curb cooperation with Nato and abandon sanctions against Russia.All cantons and about 70% of voters rejected the proposal for a strictly defined version of neutrality to be ⁠written into the Swiss constitution, final results from the Federal Statistical Office showed. The motion had been promoted by the far-right Swiss People’s party (SVP). Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
The kindness of strangers: Two helicopter pilots flew down low to wave to my three-year-old son – he was beside himself with joy
Urgent 16h ago

The kindness of strangers: Two helicopter pilots flew down low to wave to my three-year-old son – he was beside himself with joy

My son adores helicopters, so we waved as hard as possible as it flew past. Then it suddenly looped and came back aroundRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesMy sister lives in Ukraine; I live in Australia. We had gone five long years without seeing each other when we finally reunited during a trip to Los Angeles. One day we took my three-year-old son to the beach and spent the afternoon catching up.We had a lot of conversations about people and kindness that day. I told her how I had noticed a softer side to men since having a son. As a woman, you’re often wary of construction workers, for example – what might they say to me when I walk past? But now when I pass a building site with my son, the workers often let him play with their radio, or beep a tractor to make him laugh. It was very heartwarming and gave me a whole new perspective on the other sex. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Two giant pandas arrive in Atlanta from China after Xi-Trump summit
Good news 17h ago

Two giant pandas arrive in Atlanta from China after Xi-Trump summit

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to live at Atlanta zoo in Georgia as part of loan deal between Chinese and US governmentsTwo giant pandas from China arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday morning as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments.While in Washington DC for a three-day summit with Donald Trump, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced that the pandas would arrive in Atlanta in the coming days. The loan of the pandas to the Atlanta zoo was one of the few concrete outcomes to come out of Xi’s state visit with the US president, which saw expressions of goodwill between the leaders, but no fixes to any of the longstanding differences between the two countries. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘I wanted to help another family’: four surrogates on how they feel about the surrogacy discourse
Good news 18h ago

‘I wanted to help another family’: four surrogates on how they feel about the surrogacy discourse

The Guardian spoke with surrogates across the US about what they think of the controversy surrounding the practiceSurrogacy has been thrust into the national spotlight in recent weeks, with both the announcement of Lena Dunham using a surrogate to start a family and the ongoing legal battle surrounding McKenna West, a gestational surrogate who fled to Texas to avoid having an abortion that was requested by the child’s biological parents.With a renewed public interest on commercial, or compensated, surrogacy, the Guardian spoke with surrogates across the US who shared their experiences and how they feel about surrogacy being part of a global, public conversation. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
How to make cornbread – recipe | Felicity Cloake's masterclass
Context 19h ago

How to make cornbread – recipe | Felicity Cloake's masterclass

While it’s ideal for mopping up chilli and soup, this Southern US staple can be made substantial enough for a main meal with a few simple additionsLike banana bread, a rather less ancient North American creation, cornbread isn’t a loaf in the conventional sense. Though it’s perfect for soaking up chilli, brothy bean soups and the like, it’s actually substantial enough to be the main event, rather than something you might reach for to mop the plate after it. (It’s also gluten-free, should that be a consideration.)Prep 10 minSoak 2 hr Cook 25 min Serves 6 Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
The ‘elixir of long life’: how the elusive Chartreuse quietly became the trendiest drink around
Context 20h ago

The ‘elixir of long life’: how the elusive Chartreuse quietly became the trendiest drink around

With its garish ‘grellow’ colour, mythological origins, secret recipe and limited supplies, the herbal liqueur made by French monks is now the coolest thing to order at the bar It’s just after 9pm in drizzly Belleville, Paris. Too late for cocktails, too early for bedtime, but up the steep hill that straddles the 19th and 20th arrondissements, digestif hour is in sight.In the past few years, more and more Parisians have been reaching for a glass of Chartreuse, an intensely green/yellow herbal liqueur with a folkloric backstory involving Carthusian monks, cholera and a recipe of omertà-like secrecy. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Does avoiding misery make you happy?
Good news 20h ago

Does avoiding misery make you happy?

It might seem like self-preservation, but the results aren’t necessarily what you’d expectIn Dr Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, the relentlessly upbeat Sam-I-Am spends the entire book badgering a grouchy, nameless narrator into tasting the eponymous dish. He cycles through one inventive but futile pitch after another – in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox, on a train, in the rain – until the narrator, caving just to get some peace, tastes the dish and discovers he loves it. When my son was growing up, “Green Eggs and Ham” was my shorthand for telling him he was avoiding something he’d love if he only tried it.Of course, not every experience we fear or dread turns out to be a delicious surprise. Misery is an inescapable part of the human condition. We can’t avoid it, yet people try their hardest anyway. We cling to hope even when a situation is hopeless. We push painful thoughts out of mind rather than confront them. We struggle to control things that cannot be changed. And we go to sometimes self-destructive lengths to protect our pride from even the tiniest pinprick. These strategies may sometimes spare us pain in the moment. But while they are intended to promote (or at least preserve) our happiness, over time they have the perverse result of making us much more miserable. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Trump allies could use midterms ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn
Urgent 21h ago

Trump allies could use midterms ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn

Fears grow that loyalists in key states could use critical period when votes are counted to amplify false claimsElection experts have warned Donald Trump’s administration could use the crucial hours and days after November’s midterm elections to disrupt the results after struggling to enforce a crackdown on voting.With less than six weeks remaining until polls close, and control of US Congress in the balance, the post-election “counting window” is seen as as a particularly vulnerable moment by former US federal government officials. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
The Guardian view on Trump and Xi: a show of friendship, but no real attempt to address the tensions | Editorial
Urgent 3d ago

The Guardian view on Trump and Xi: a show of friendship, but no real attempt to address the tensions | Editorial

The Chinese leader’s visit to Washington appears to have done nothing to shift the stalemate in bilateral relations Within days, two high-profile Chinese visitors will arrive in the US – envoys of friendship, as Xi Jinping described them when he met Donald Trump at the White House this week. The giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will be hosted at Atlanta zoo. Beijing dispatched the first panda pair to the US in 1972 following President Richard Nixon’s landmark visit to China. It uses the animals to indicate satisfaction or displeasure with other nations. But it also charges heftily for their lease: reportedly, around $1m a year per pair. Americans’ views of China have warmed from a pandemic nadir, but are unlikely to be shifted much by two animals, however charming. These days they are more of a token gesture than a striking symbol.It is telling that the announcement was one of the main takeaways of Mr Xi’s visit to Washington. Expectations were low after May’s stalemate summit in Beijing, but this meeting still struggled to meet them. The US president gave Mr Xi a lavish welcome – unusually, travelling to meet the “strong, vibrant and fit” Chinese leader off the plane. He insisted that they had “never gotten along better”. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Trump swoons over strongman soulmate Xi – are you feeling jealous, Vladimir?
Watch 4d ago

Trump swoons over strongman soulmate Xi – are you feeling jealous, Vladimir?

Deference was deafening as US president rolled out red carpet for world’s biggest jailer of journalists – perhaps he was seeking tipsOne is an authoritarian who represses the media and has a strong allergy to democratic elections. The other is head of the Chinese Communist party.Donald Trump welcomed the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to the White House on Thursday, setting the stage for a scene quite unlike anything the august old building has seen over more than two centuries. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Bob Mackie obituary
Context 4d ago

Bob Mackie obituary

American fashion designer and costumier who clothed glamorous showbiz celebrities, especially CherMost costume designers are novelists, supplying character, back stories, social placement and history, done in cloth. Bob Mackie was also a genius cartoonist, assembling details into an image, memorable on sight, that could hold anything from a small 1960s television screen to a concert arena.Mackie, who has died aged 87, was master of the showbiz sartorial aesthetic that evolved on stage and in films to entertain in itself as well as project performers. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘Going places with panache’: Max Mara channels audacious women for Milan show
Urgent 4d ago

‘Going places with panache’: Max Mara channels audacious women for Milan show

Chore jackets and loose-fit trousers nod to ‘nonconformist glamour’ of Amelia Earhart and other pioneersThe Max Mara catwalk at Milan fashion week had well-cut coats, sturdy block-heeled boots, crisp white shirts and capacious suede handbags. What it quite deliberately did not have was shock value. “I hope everyone watching this show can recognise something of themselves in what they see,” said Ian Griffiths, the British designer who has been at this Italian house since 1987. “I think that’s really important. Without being critical of other brands or designers, so much of fashion alienates people and makes them feel that they aren’t good enough or thin enough or young enough to wear what’s being represented.”Trousers were pleated and roomy, skirts long enough to be elegant but not long enough to trip you up. In shades of sand and chalk, grey and black, every piece was designed to work with everything else, and to blend into an existing wardrobe. The styling gestures – a popped collar here, a knotted belt there – stopped short of gimmick. The models could have walked off the runway and on to the Milan street – which, Griffiths said backstage, was the point. “The catwalk show is only the prelude to what to me is the real presentation, which is when I see women walking down the street in my clothes.” Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Italian pop legend takes the lead in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi collection
Context 5d ago

Italian pop legend takes the lead in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi collection

Milan show full of diaphanous dresses and visible bras celebrates ‘incredible feminist’ of the 1970s, Raffaella CarràMaria Grazia Chiuri has been having more fun with clothes since she decamped from Paris back to her native Rome to work at Fendi. “I have less of a uniform these days. I think it is because being back here makes me feel young again. I’m not sure my daughter appreciates [this attitude]! But I don’t care,” she said at a preview before her Milan fashion week show.Not that Chiuri doesn’t approach her work as a designer seriously. She described her second ready-to-wear season at Fendi not as a show, or a collection, but as “the second part of the project I am working on for them”. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Janet Davies obituary
Urgent 5d ago

Janet Davies obituary

My sister, Janet Davies, who has died aged 89, dedicated most of her adult life to international development, ecumenical partnership and social justice.From 1968 to 1986 she worked for Christian Aid in Merseyside and the north-west, and later became regional organiser. Based in Liverpool, and supported by Edward Patey, then dean of the city, Janet used her formidable communicating, networking and nurturing skills to forge grassroots alliances across denominations to deliver and celebrate the practical demonstration of ecumenism that was Christian Aid Week. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘What we have is unique’: the Indian craftsmanship behind global luxury fashion
Context 6d ago

‘What we have is unique’: the Indian craftsmanship behind global luxury fashion

Generations of artisans from Mumbai to Lucknow have shaped the world’s most coveted designs. Plus, the gen Z memes giving classic Bollywood a new lifeThe zardozi embroidery on a Dior dress, the T-strap leather sandals at a Prada show, the mirror-work technique used on a Fendi bag – for decades, the skill of Indian artisans has been an invisible force behind some of the world’s most coveted fashion.Now, that work is beginning to claim its own place in the spotlight, and the Mumbai-based textile and embroidery atelier Chanakya International is at the forefront. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘I suck at breaks’: a day in the life of an aerial cellist
Watch 8d ago

‘I suck at breaks’: a day in the life of an aerial cellist

Cellista, an aerialist who regularly performs upside down with her cello, shares what her life looks like training for the stageMastering the cello is hard enough, but Cellista also regularly performs upside down. She’s based in Las Vegas, but the aerialist spoke to us while traveling in Germany, and told us about what her life looks like training and writing for the stage. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘I pay a lot more for fewer and fewer items’: five US shoppers on their food budgets
Urgent 10d ago

‘I pay a lot more for fewer and fewer items’: five US shoppers on their food budgets

Guardian readers share how much they spend on food and the changes they’ve had to made in response to rising pricesWhile campaigning for re-election in 2024, Donald Trump stood in front of a table full of groceries – bags of flour, cartons of eggs, cooking oil – and told voters he would bring down the price of groceries “starting on day one” of his second term in the White House.Over two years later, US consumers have yet to enjoy lower prices. In fact, due to supply chain issues, jostling over tariffs, wars in Ukraine and Iran, severe cuts in Snap (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, and the climate crisis, more than half of Americans say they’re struggling to afford groceries. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘It’s about controlling your entire body’: how to start doing handstands
Context 14d ago

‘It’s about controlling your entire body’: how to start doing handstands

Handstands display a mastery of one’s physical form that I have never quite felt – and they look cool. Experts share their advice for building up strength and practicingMy aspirations in life are modest: I want to write, spend time with my loved ones, and someday find a lipstick that flatters my skintone. But perhaps my greatest ambition is this: I want to be able to do a handstand.Why? It turns the world upside down. It seems fun. It displays a mastery of one’s physical form that I have never quite felt. And it looks cool! Maybe it has to do with that one time in third grade when all my friends could do a handstand and I couldn’t, but that’s for me and my therapist to sort out later. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
So you have diarrhea. Here’s what to do and when to seek care
Watch 29d ago

So you have diarrhea. Here’s what to do and when to seek care

The discussion about diarrhea has increased lately, especially with the rise of cyclosporiasis. Although unpleasant, it is manageable and can be treated at homeIn the US, people are discussing diarrhea more than usual. As of late August, more than 17,000 people across the US have had cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection often traced to contaminated produce. But tens of millions of diarrhea cases occur in the US every year, caused by lots of other factors.Some causes, such as cyclospora infection, benefit from antibiotic treatment. But most episodes of diarrhea go away by themselves and don’t require treatment apart from staying hydrated, says Benjamin Levy, a gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Gen Z and millennials have it far worse than my generation. Here's why | Opinion
Context 45d ago

Gen Z and millennials have it far worse than my generation. Here's why | Opinion

'I know my age group has called the young lazy, entitled snowflakes,' says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, who has been writing for the Guardian for nearly 50 years. 'But I know whose side I’m on and it’s not my own generation’s.'Polly believes that the social contract between younger and older generations has been broken, with gen Z and millennials set to be worse off than their parents in the face of soaring unemployment, stagnating wages and ballooning house prices. New research carried out for the BBC suggests that people in their 20s are facing a worse start to adulthood than any other generation in almost half a century, with more than 40% of 25-year-olds now living with their parents.Watch to find out why Polly thinks her generation owes the younger ones an apology - and how they can right these wrongs Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘We made over $1,000’: drag queen Brini Maxwell
Watch 50d ago

‘We made over $1,000’: drag queen Brini Maxwell

Ben Sander’s talents – interior design, crafting and being a TV personality – come together in his 60s housewife drag characterBen Sander is an interior designer, crafter and television personality. All of those talents come together in his drag character, 60s housewife Brini Maxwell. Maxwell hosts a regular craft night at New York City’s Club Cumming.What time did you wake up, and do you have a morning routine? Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘It’s rare to hear: I’m black and middle class’ – Symeon Brown on black Britain’s enduring ‘taboo’
Context 50d ago

‘It’s rare to hear: I’m black and middle class’ – Symeon Brown on black Britain’s enduring ‘taboo’

Black people are more prominent than ever in the UK’s politics and culture. But are they overwhelmingly from the middle class, as Brown argues in his new book? And if so, why isn’t anyone talking about it?Symeon Brown and David Lammy went to the same primary school in Tottenham, north London. One went on to a selective secondary school, and became the second black person to hold one of Britain’s great offices of state. The other became a journalist who would go on to survey the country’s black professional class more thoroughly than anyone ever had – and who remembers being told by Lammy that he could “never become prime minister, because you sound like where you come from”.It was 2010, and Brown, interested in politics, was interning for the then Labour backbencher. “And he was right, certainly at the time,” Brown says now. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
Britain is paying the price for failing to invest in its young people | Richard Partington
Urgent 50d ago

Britain is paying the price for failing to invest in its young people | Richard Partington

Alan Milburn has outlined a generation cut adrift by austerity. We must grasp the nettle and rebuild a preventive stateMost people think Britain is not working as it should. For young people, the situation is at its most acute: only one in four believe that everyone in society has a fair crack. Most think the game is rigged.It is clear why the generation who grew up during the post-2008 crash austerity years and in the shadow of the Covid pandemic are downbeat: the level of public service provision their parents enjoyed is gone, living costs are rising, the AI revolution is changing everything, and the planet is on fire. Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
How to start volunteering: ‘There are roles to fit all interests and skill sets’
Context 84d ago

How to start volunteering: ‘There are roles to fit all interests and skill sets’

Common misconceptions are that you don’t have the right skills, or you need to make a huge time commitmentMany people want to do good in the world. They want to connect and give back to their communities. But volunteering, much like Sunday meal prep or morning meditations, often ends up at the bottom of the to-do list – a nice idea we’ll get to when we have more time.“For many people, volunteering is something they feel positively about, but don’t always prioritize or think they have time for,” says Matt Bertram, vice-president of volunteer services for the American Red Cross.How to start meditatingHow to start weightliftingHow to start budgetingHow to start running Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source
‘Overconsumption isolates us’: how to start shopping less
Context 112d ago

‘Overconsumption isolates us’: how to start shopping less

Spending can be exciting – but how do you function outside of it? Experts share their tips for paring down buyingFor years, I have been caught in a tiresome, expensive cycle: when I’m bored (or sad, or insecure) I scroll through my phone, looking for stuff to buy. In those moments, it feels like the right purchase will relieve me of ennui or unpleasantness. These shoes will make my life more glamorous! This face wash will make me feel forever beautiful!Sometimes this rush lasts up to two days after I receive my item. But the excitement fades – sometimes as soon as I click “confirm purchase” – and I inevitably think: “Why did I do that?” Continue reading...

The GuardianRead source