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Features

<p>Can’t handle the heat? There are alternatives to aircon</p>

Does it make sense to get an air conditioner in the UK?

As the country gets set for summer and the mercury rises, many of us are dreaming of the icy tang of AC. But is it a waste of money or a smart investment to futureproof your home? Helen Coffey asks the experts

<p>Hats off to the attendees of Glastonbury, though many have them firmly on to protect from scorching temperatures</p>

Glastonbury 2025

Oasis-core is as ubiquitous at Glastonbury as a ‘Wonderwall’ singalong

<p>Friendly? Research has found that AI responses feel more compassionate than human ones</p>

Meet the people who think AI is their friend: ‘It’s a slippery slope’

<p>The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte matched for the Trooping the Colour last week (Aaron Chown/PA)</p>

Help! My local high street is full of mums dressed like their kids!

<p>It could be you: Stories of cursed lottery winners are a tale as old as time</p>

COMMENT

Is winning the lottery actually terrible luck?

Why does everything have to be an immersive experience now?

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What to wear at Glastonbury 2025

Latest news

More features

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Lily Allen’s right– ranking your pals might make you a better friend

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IN FOCUS

The highs and lows of dating over 50

<p>Matcha lattes are all over the high street, and the internet</p>

LET'S UNPACK THAT

Are viral matcha lattes making a mockery of this traditional drink?

let's unpack that

The uncomfortable truth about the latest viral TikTok trend

Fitness and wellness

<p>According to experts, immunity and the gut are connected</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Is there a link between gut health and allergies? An expert explains

Could what you eat really affect the severity of your symptoms?

Fitness and wellbeing

Is there a link between gut health and allergies? An expert explains

Could what you eat really affect the severity of your symptoms?

<p>According to experts, immunity and the gut are connected</p>

<p>I've tried everything to soothe my TMJ symptoms</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Could botox for teeth grinding cure my TMJ? I tried it to find out

<p>A walking expert has shared the many benefits of going for a short walk after eating a meal </p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Expert says a walk after eating can protect health for decades to come

<p>Running a marathon for the first time has meant being discerning about my kit</p>

Sports & Fitness

I’m running the London Marathon – these are my training essentials

<p>I taped my mouth shut every night to see if the Tiktok trend might actually be worth it</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

I tried mouth taping for three weeks, and the results surprised me

<p>I taped my mouth shut every night to see if the Tiktok trend might actually be worth it</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

I tried mouth taping for three weeks, and the results surprised me

<p>My therapist advised me to pick up a copy of the book and the rest is history</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

How living with less changed my life

<p>The female-dominated New Age and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory are colliding in ‘conspirituality’</p>

Wellness is turning people into right-wing conspiracy theorists

Food features

<p>George Egg with his fish finger spaghetti – one of the madcap mash-ups that made him Instagram’s snack king</p>

Fish finger spaghetti and KFC ramen: Meet the king of gourmet snacks

<p>A tale of two stars: Aulis’s Cumbrian trick door in Soho vs Gorse’s calm Cardiff corner – same Michelin badge, wildly different bills</p>

Fine and Dime: When does a Michelin star really earn its keep?

<p>English wine is having a moment – but it faces challenges, too</p>

English wine is having a moment… so which ones should you try first?

<p>Pinhais mackerel: caught at dawn, tinned by lunch – proof that the simplest things can still feel like a luxury</p>

Tinned fish: The surprisingly sexy new status symbol

Recipes

<p>A childhood snack raid, reimagined: these Twiglet brownies are salty, sweet and just a bit wrong – in the best way</p>

Twiglet brownies: The salty-sweet snack mash-up you need to try

<p>Charred spatchcock poussin with pickled chilli and fresh salsa – perfect for the barbecue</p>

Bring the sunshine: Three easy barbecue recipes to try this summer

<p>A quick twist on a classic trifle – sponge fingers, caramelised strawberries and a zing of lemon under the grill</p>

Easy strawberry recipes to enjoy during Wimbledon and all summer

Life Stories

<p>After having five children of her own, Charlotte Johnson-Daniels decided to help childless couples and become a surrogate in 2022</p>

‘I’m a surrogate – but I don’t want to make money from a baby’

<p>Mohammed Nayef Salem is 18 and has been training as an entertainer since he was 12</p>

‘I’m a clown in a war zone – it’s an incredibly important job’

<p>Lauren Bateman, who received under-eye filler from a woman without medical qualifications</p>

‘I got under-eye filler – then felt like my face was going to explode’

<p>Rachael Doman and her husband Paul with their three children</p>

‘I went from zero children to being a mum to three kids overnight’

Independent TV

<p>Nadiya Hussain (Chris Terry/PA)</p>

Nadiya Hussain says she ‘won’t be grateful’ following cooking show axe

Victoria Beckham pokes fun at David Beckham after hospital visit

<p>Scott Mills hosting his first BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show (BBC/PA)</p>

Scott Mills forced to issue on-air apology over BBC blunder

<p>Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus enjoy date night supporting Miley Cyrus.</p>

Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus enjoy date night

Deals

<p>Enjoy Garden Trading’s amazing site-wide deals</p>

Enjoy 20% off all homeware and garden at Garden Trading

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Marks & Spencer discount codes for June – save 10% site-wide

Save up to 20% on luxury bags, jewellery and more at Aspinal of London

<p>Enjoy the best of Jacamo with these deals</p>

Save over 25% on fashion, tech and gaming at Jacamo

Design

Celebrate summer with seaside style (Direct.asda/PA)

10 ways to channel chic coastal decor

Grythyttan armchair, A2, and Table 9 Available at www.scp.co.uk (Grythyttan/PA)

How to keep your garden furniture in good nick all summer long

Patterns can help elevate the everyday (Pooky Lighting/PA)

9 ways to spin stripes, checks and spots in the home

Royal Family

<p>Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in ‘The Favourite’. Her real-life counterpart was rumoured to have had her own female lover</p>

How would the royal family react to a gay king?

<p>William marked his 43rd birthday on Saturday with a picture of him with cocker spaniel Orla and three of the four puppies she gave birth to last month</p>

Peta claims William and Kate are ‘out of touch’ after dog has puppies

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Princess Lilibet stars in Meghan’s teaser video for brand relaunch

Women

<p>Readers debate whether women should have to work the week of their period</p>

‘Try working 12-hours on your period’: Readers torn on menstrual leave

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The Independent Influence List list on display at the Outernet

<p>Some are calling Blue’s stunt a bizarre cash grab while others have called it a trauma response</p>

Bonnie Blue isn’t the problem: it’s the men who want to sleep with her

Dating and Relationships

<p>Dating app Bumble will shed 30 percent of its workforce as it explores how AI can be deployed in online dating</p>

Major layoffs at dating app Bumble with business at ‘inflection point’

<p>‘It’s usually men who make it an issue’: Readers on height in dating</p>

‘It’s usually men who make it an issue’: Readers on height in dating

<p>The couple at an event held by the Clooney Foundation for Justice in New York in 2024</p>

George Clooney says he’s never argued with his wife – that’s a problem

indy100

gaming

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Foundry demo is just darn fun and addictive

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Foundry demo is just darn fun and addictive

news

Kylie Page tributes praise her 'bright light' as adult star dies aged 28

viral

'Call off Glasto, it's peaked': The 8 best flags at Glastonbury 2025

politics

Pete Hegseth vows to ‘take politics out of ship naming’ - by making a political decision

science-tech

Why Musk doesn't want us to know he uses a computer

science-tech

Why Musk doesn't want us to know he uses a computer

gaming

Resident Evil 9 Requiem was going to be an open-world online shooter devs reveal

politics

Trump finally explains why he can’t stop talking about Hannibal Lecter