General news

• ‘Sent the kittens scarpering’: the best cat toys in the UK, tested by cats

  21-07-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  From catnip to interactive, scented and all-natural teasers, here are the toys our reviewer’s panel of feline testers fell head over paws for• The best gifts for cats and dogsWatch a cat doing as they please in a garden, and you’ll witness a procession of behaviours passed down from their wild ancestors. They may crouch with ears pricked up at the sight or sound of birds in flight; rub against objects to leave their scent; chase buzzing, drowsing insects; or sniff a favourite pl
  
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• Parents: Tell us how are you balancing work and childcare this summer

  21-07-2026 12:04 via theguardian.com
  With the cost of holiday childcare rising and many parents juggling work with looking after children, we’d like to hear how you’re managing this summerThe summer holidays have begun, bringing the annual challenge many parents face in balancing work and looking after school-aged children. New research suggests arranging six weeks of holiday childcare can cost working parents up to £1,145 per child, while almost three-quarters of parents say the summer childcare juggle damages th
  
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• Board short summer: why everyone suddenly wants to look like a surfer

  21-07-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Surfboards, knee-length shorts, wetsuits, flip-flops: all have been seen on the catwalks this year. But what do actual surfers think of the trend? We went to Newquay to find outSummer is here, and with it the annual scramble to decide what kind of season we’re supposed to be having. What will it be? On offer in 2026 are “freaky sandal summer”, which requires you to wear weird shoes, and “euromaxxing”, which is presumably about making the most of the easyJet sale wit
  
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• Exploring Germany’s East Frisian islands: mudflats, marshes and millions of birds

  21-07-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  The seven inhabited isles off the North Sea coast, part of a Unesco world heritage site, are a sanctuary for wildlife – with great hotels and restaurants too‘Can you hear that?” my guide Andrea Wellmeyer asks as I sink a little deeper into the wet ground, cold mud seeping between my toes. When the wind drops, I detect a faint but distinct crackling, similar to the rustle of a sweet wrapper or the bubbling of sparkling water. “That’s the Wattknistern,” she says
  
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• British Gas mixed up our energy meter – but now I’m being penalised

  21-07-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  When the problem was finally sorted out in our new-build home, it increased my tariff by 19%Residents in our new housing development are being billed for each other’s energy after the meters were mixed up.I realised British Gas was sending bills for my energy to the developer of the estate instead of to me. I informed British Gas of my details when I moved in seven months ago. Continue reading...
  
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