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Features

<p>Motorists beware: Being car-dependent might not be the key to happiness</p>

in focus

Get out of your car if you want to be less lonely

As new research shows evidence that good public transport links are the key to feeling more connected, non-driver Helen Coffey advocates for getting out of our insular metal boxes and into the world

<p>Some women wear waist trainers – a long piece of tight fabric that squashes the torso into a smaller size – to the gym, to work or during sleep</p>

let's unpack that

Waist trainers are making a comeback – this is what you should know

<p>Kylie Jenner, her sister Khloe Kardashian and their mother Kris Jenner, have all dished out details about their surgery treatments in recent weeks</p>

It’s not ‘empowering’ for the Kardashians to be honest about surgery

<p>Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Who’s the most self-obsessed of them all?</p>

Why becoming more self-obsessed is the last thing Gen Z needs

<p>The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star in Netflix series ‘America’s Sweethearts’</p>

COMMENT

Netflix hit America’s Sweethearts is setting a sad example for girls

<p>Women undergoing IVF aren’t entitled to time off for treatment</p>

in focus

Of course women should be allowed time off work for IVF

<p>Many parents opt to cover their children’s faces online with emojis</p>

IN FOCUS

Will covering your child’s face with an emoji protect their privacy?

Latest news

More features

<p>Behavioural science has had a reckoning in the last 10 years</p>

The scandal that rocked behavioural science and sparked revolution

<p>Writer Olivia Petter takes a break from the chaos (and heat) at one of the festival’s five Sensory Calm Spaces</p>

Glastonbury’s biggest change this year was also its quietest

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

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

<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

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>Harissa is one of Gurdeep Loyal’s go-to shortcuts for instant depth and heat</p>

The five ingredients that will change the way you cook

<p>Oak-smoked tinola chicken, served with soul and smoke – Shah’s take on the classic Filipino broth channels comfort food through a fire-kissed, modern bistro lens</p>

From ube to adobo: The man who made London crave Filipino food

<p>The sandwich in question: sweet, summery, and – depending on who you ask – possibly taxable</p>

Could the M&S strawberries and cream sandwich really get taxed?

<p>Tamimi says his mission is simple: to keep talking about Palestine – and feeding its stories to the world</p>

Ottolenghi co-founder: ‘We must keep Palestine alive through food’

Recipes

<p>Paccheri never looked so punchy – this fiery, boozy pasta is all about maximum flavour with minimal effort</p>

This fennel sausage pasta is loud, spicy and a little bit boozy

<p>A trio of vibrant summer dishes designed to support gut health and boost plant diversity</p>

Three easy summer recipes to support gut health

<p>Street food with soul: Shah’s chicken inasal, marinated in vinegar, lemongrass and annatto, delivers that smoky, sticky-sweet punch every barbecue deserves</p>

Two bold Filipino recipes from chef Omar Shah to try at home

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></p>

Molly-Mae compares herself to Tommy Fury in parenting admission

What are my options with car finance? An expert breaks them down

<p></p>

Princess of Wales shares touching moment with cancer patients

<p></p>

Watch: Tiny kitten rescued from pipe in Florida by firefighters

Deals

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

Enjoy 20% off all homeware and garden at Garden Trading

<p></p>

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

Save up to 60% 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

From open units to wall cabinets, these furnishings give you the freedom to make a feature (Mustard Made/PA)

9 shelving ideas to flaunt favourite finds

<p>Custom-built sleeping nooks seamlessly incorporated into cabinetry are becoming more common</p>

Creature comforts: How pets are shaping home design

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

10 ways to channel chic coastal decor

Royal Family

<p>The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Colchester Hospital in Essex</p>

Kate Middleton reveals ‘life-changing’ cancer journey

<p>Café Diana was named in honour of the former Princess of Wales</p>

Diana’s favourite café risks closure after ‘paying staff in food’

<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?

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

<p></p>

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

tiktok

The worst thing about getting rich quick, according to a lottery winner

The worst thing about getting rich quick, according to a lottery winner

news

Secret chambers discovered in 4,400-year-old Egyptian pyramid

viral

Woman shares creepy Hinge exchange after match guesses her exact address

science-tech

Experts discover AI would blackmail and even sacrifice humans to avoid being replaced

science-tech

Scientists have found 'evidence' of advanced alien civilisations

science-tech

Scientists have found 'evidence' of advanced alien civilisations

science-tech

Strange structures found lurking beneath Antarctic ice

science-tech

AI cannot 'understand' language at all - and people are only just realising