Yvonne C Lam

Choice tested 48 laundry powders, liquids and capsules in front-loader and top-loader machines. Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate, Omo Active Clean Powder and Omo Ultimate Powder tied for first place in front-loader testing with scores of 82%, while Aldi Trimat also ranked first in top-loader testing at 66%. Aldi was the best-value option at 44 cents per wash, compared with $1.16 for Omo Ultimate. Five products scored below 50%; Earthwise Sensitive Laundry Liquid ranked last in top-loader testing at 47%, only slightly ahead of water at 43%. Choice expert Chris Barnes said premium Omo products often perform well but are not necessarily better than cheaper Aldi alternatives, and noted that environmental claims do not provide a clear indication of detergent performance or manufacturing practices.

Guardian Australia editors and critics recommend a selection of Australian books scheduled for July publication. The list spans fiction, short stories, memoir, psychology, spirituality and cooking, highlighting psychosexual desire, family trauma, grief, young love, existential anxiety, Indigenous ingredients and the consequences of media power. Notable selections include Laura McPhee-Browne’s psychosexual thriller Worry Doll, Mirandi Riwoe’s multigenerational saga A Short History of Longans, Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson’s critique of Rupert Murdoch’s journalism in Getting Murdoched, and Nornie Bero’s celebration of First Nations food in Native Ingredients Every Day.

The live blog reports that Surf Life Saving NSW has received an urgent exemption from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority to fly shark-monitoring drones over Coogee Beach, with the New South Wales government seeking to make the arrangement permanent after a woman was attacked. The roundup also covers Liberal frontbencher Jonathon Duniam’s decision to leave politics, debate over proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme changes, the deaths of a father and daughter in Sydney and an Australian family in Pakistan, and the reported road conditions involved in sprinter Jemma Stapleton’s fatal crash in Thailand. Other updates include a planned Bondi memorial, a legal appeal by the founder of a women-only social-media app, hardship among Australian PhD researchers, World Cup gatherings, and awards for Australian cookbook authors.

Australian cookbook authors Helen Goh and Yoko Nakazawa won 2026 James Beard media awards in Chicago. Goh received the best baking and desserts book award for “Baking and the Meaning of Life,” which connects baking with joy, care and community. Nakazawa won best single subject book for “The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting,” a guide to traditional Japanese preservation techniques illustrated with step-by-step instructions. Their wins were among five Australian titles nominated, highlighting the country’s growing international reputation for food and culinary publishing.

Guardian Australia editors and critics recommend thirteen Australian books being released in May. The selection spans literary fiction, memoir, essays, history, health writing and cookbooks, including Amanda Lohrey’s alien-abduction novel Capture, Emma Hardy’s examination of PMDD and medical misogyny in Periodic Bitch, Romy Ash’s climate-change story Mantle, and Robert Forster’s crime novel Songwriters on the Run. Other highlights address class and capitalism, Australian political history, first-responder trauma, Lebanese civil war, Indigenous philosophy and Southeast Asian-Australian baking. The recommendations are predominantly enthusiastic, while several books use personal experience and fiction to explore broader social, environmental and political questions.

A roundup of 12 filling cauliflower-based main courses, ranging from quick roasted cauliflower with chickpeas, halloumi or lentils to more elaborate dishes such as cauliflower Wellington and a curried cheese filo pie. The recipes span vegan, vegetarian and meat-inclusive options, emphasize roasting over boiling, and include practical notes on seasonal Australian ingredients, preparation time and leftovers.

Guardian Australia editors and critics recommend twelve Australian books published in April, spanning novels, short stories, memoir, essays, political history and a cookbook. The selections explore grief, family, identity, migration, war, environmental crisis, the housing shortage, media dynasties, Australian political history and Indigenous community life. Highlights include Fiona Wright’s dark satire of housing insecurity, Gabriel Sherman’s researched account of the Murdoch family, and Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo’s cookbook and memoir of Gamilaroi food and community work.

Precise chive cutting has become an unexpected marker of culinary standards, particularly through the Instagram account Rate My Chives, which scores submissions for consistency, thinness and lack of bruising. At Sydney’s Fratelli Paradiso, executive chef Trisha Greentree demonstrates professional technique and explains why uniformly cut chives matter in fine dining. After producing uneven, bruised slices with a blunt knife, Yvonne Lam receives a score of two out of 10; despite sharpening her knife and practising at home, a second submission earns only 2.3. The piece also notes that technical knife skills do not necessarily define overall cooking ability, while showing how the account functions both as a harsh critic and an encouraging community.

Guardian Australia editors and critics recommend ten Australian books being released in March. The selection spans Bob Carr’s emotionally raw memoir about bereavement, experimental and speculative fiction, fragmented accounts of lifelong grief, a multigenerational Western Australian family novel, a queer Beauty and the Beast-inspired fantasy, a philosophical memoir about nihilism and motherhood, a psychological thriller about online radicalization and gendered violence, and an Afghan food-and-history memoir. The books are presented as ambitious, formally varied works addressing grief, environmental collapse, identity, family, violence and cultural memory.

A photographic gallery documents the 2026 Actor Awards red carpet, highlighting the outfits, accessories and styling choices of nominated performers, presenters and guests. The looks range from sequined and beaded gowns to double-breasted tuxedos, velvet tailoring, dramatic trains and playful accessories, with recurring references to the event’s roaring-1920s theme. The gallery also notes several winners, including Michael B Jordan, Amy Madigan, Keri Russell, Noah Wyle and Seth Rogen, alongside nominations for performers from films and series such as Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Pitt, Hacks and The White Lotus.

Peter Gilmore is closing Sydney fine-dining institutions Quay on 14 February and Bennelong in June after decades of leadership. He attributes Quay’s closure to declining international tourism, rising wages and the cost-of-living crisis, noting that the restaurant had been breaking even rather than making a profit. The chef reflects on the snow egg’s iconic status, his role in training roughly 600 chefs, and his pioneering work with Australian producers. He also criticizes the lack of government support for Australia’s restaurant sector and the decision not to bring the Michelin Guide to the country. Gilmore plans to move to his farm in Tasmania with his wife and may open a new restaurant there.

Choice’s test of 23 stain-remover powders and 20 pre-treatment sprays found Aldi’s Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser With Enzymes tied with Sard’s spray for first place, scoring 78%. Aldi’s product costs 28¢ per 100ml compared with Sard’s $1.90, making it a significantly cheaper option with comparable overall performance, although Sard was better on blood stains. Aldi, Coles and Woolworths sprays also performed well, while the leading pre-soak powders were dominated by Sard and Vanish. Choice assessed stain removal using standardized fabric swatches and spectrometer measurements rather than visual inspection.

A roundup of eleven fast summer dinners suitable for busy Australian weeknights, ranging from tofu rice bowls, Maggi goreng and herb-spiked chickpeas to one-pot orzo, dal bhat, salads, fish spaghetti, puttanesca, Malaysian eggs, beans on toast and savory ricotta pancakes. The recipes emphasize pantry staples, minimal washing-up, adaptable ingredients and cooking techniques such as high-heat stir-frying, properly browning mushrooms and carefully toasting pine nuts. Australian substitutions and serving suggestions are included, including broccolini for tenderstem broccoli and barramundi for sea bass.

The Golden Globes 2026 red carpet featured an overwhelmingly dark palette alongside selective flashes of green, gold, red and blue. Winners and nominees including Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, Stellan Skarsgård, Jean Smart and Rhea Seehorn appeared in designs from Chanel, Dior, Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and other major fashion houses. The gallery also highlights notable appearances by performers such as Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney and Snoop Dogg, while documenting the evening’s film and television winners, nominees and presenters.

Guardian Australia critics and staff select 25 notable Australian books published in 2025, spanning novels, poetry, memoir, nonfiction, short stories, fantasy and cookbooks. The recommendations highlight Helen Garner’s collected diaries, Geraldine Brooks’ memoir of grief, a collaborative examination of the Erin Patterson murder trial, writing on colonisation and migration, climate anxiety, sexuality and gender, and several prominent food books. The selections are strongly positive and subjective, emphasizing literary quality, emotional impact, originality and social relevance.

The guide presents 56 last-minute Christmas gift ideas available in Australia, including audiobooks, show tickets, subscriptions, food and practical presents. Gifts can be filtered by category—pretty, doable, edible, useful or educational—and by recipient personality, such as fun, classy, grumpy, geeky or adventurous. Selections were made by the Guardian Australia lifestyle and culture team, with additional contributions from Patrick Lum and Mike Hytner.

Nine summer recipes are organized by difficulty and occasion: one-bite snacks for drinks, salads for barbecues, and make-ahead desserts for dinner parties. The suggestions include gildas, devilled eggs, spiced sausage rolls, three vegetable-based salads, watermelon granita, a chocolate and hazelnut tart, and sugar plum and coffee cookies, with practical advice on substitutions, preparation, storage, and sourcing ingredients in Australia.

Choice’s blind test of 12 Christmas hams from Aldi, Coles, IGA and Woolworths found that Coles’ Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham ranked first with an 80% score at $8/kg. Aldi’s similarly priced Festive Selection ham ranked last at 61%, while Aldi’s most expensive ham scored only 68%. Judges assessed taste, texture, appearance and aroma, noting that many products were overcooked. Choice advises consumers to look for Australian pork and sow-stall-free claims, though the latter were not independently verified, and recommends a marmalade glaze to improve an inferior ham.

KFC’s limited-time Zinger bánh mì, launched across Australia after a Newcastle trial, is criticized for using the sandwich’s name while lacking its characteristic crusty bread, pâté, pickled daikon and generous herbs. Vietnamese bánh mì business owners and a migration researcher raise concerns about multinational commercialization, industrial production and cultural appropriation, although they acknowledge that adaptations can be acceptable when made thoughtfully. The piece contrasts KFC’s $9.95 version with established family-run shops and emphasizes bánh mì’s deep connections to Vietnamese migration, community memory and Australian food culture.

A curated guide to 50 Christmas gift ideas for Australian children from birth to age 12, organized by age, category and budget. The selections emphasize toys, books and creative or educational products, largely from Australia-based businesses and Australian authors and illustrators, with prices listed at recommended retail rates.