NHS campaign boosts MMR jab uptake in England by 23%

The number of young people receiving their MMR jab is up nearly a quarter from last year, official figures show.

RHS offers dry advice: decant the bath and let rain puddle

Rain gardens and bathwater are becoming gardening trends, the Royal Horticultural Society says, as the UK's gardeners prepare for predicted water shortages caused by climate breakdown.

Blackpool byelection Soup kitchen maverick tests the red wall revival

Mark Butcher, Reform UK's candidate in Blackpool South's byelection, watched as a carriage driver on the town's promenade plunged a fist into the manure-collecting bag behind his horse.

Tory rebels plan for 100-day 'policy blitz' as embattled Sunak faces bruising week

Rishi Sunak is braced for a bruising week as Tory rebels flaunted plans for a 100-day \"policy blitz\" to secure quick wins if the local election results prove disastrous for the party.

Lampedusa Tory scheme will not deter arrivals or save lives, say workers on rescue flotilla

Aid workers on the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is one of Europe's busiest landing points for asylum seekers, have condemned the Rwanda plan as they prepare for another busy summer of bedraggled arrivals and deaths at sea.

US secretary of state visits Saudi Arabia to try to restart talks on Gaza ceasefire

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will travel to Saudi Arabia to try to restart fraught ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel and discuss efforts to prevent spiralling regional conflict.

Firm uses presenter in advert after it is tricked by AI fake

There was something strange about her voice, they thought. It was not unfamiliar but, after a while, it started to go all over the place.

Diabetes care hit by insulin shortages

People with type 1 diabetes are being forced to endure the \"stress and anxiety\" of insulin shortages, patients, pharmacists and health campaigners have warned.

Fears for economy if water firm collapses

Senior Whitehall officials fear Thames Water's financial collapse could trigger a rise in government borrowing costs not seen since the chaos of the Liz Truss mini-budget, the Guardian can reveal.

Home Office to detain UK asylum seekers in shock Rwanda move

Operations begin today to prepare for deportation flights

Bumpy road Electric car market stalls as sector enters new phase

Elon Musk became the world's richest man by evangelising about electric cars and delivering them by the million. Yet in recent months his company Tesla has struggled to maintain its momentum: sales have dropped, and so has the share price.

Darktrace cybersecurity firm agrees $5.3bn sale to US private equity business

The Cambridge-based cybersecurity and artificial intelligence company Darktrace is likely to become the latest British technology champion to be swallowed up by a US suitor, after it agreed a $5.3bn (£4.2bn) sale to the US private equity business Thoma Bravo.

Gallery on the edge The revolutionary museum born under the shadow of Franco

In July 1966, as the Beatles were preparing to release Revolver and Spain was approaching the 30th anniversary of the coup that birthed the Franco dictatorship, a Spanish-Filipino artist called Fernando Zóbel threw open the doors of an improbable but visionary cultural outpost.

Poland border pushbacks in spotlight again after pregnant woman's ordeal

The case of a woman from Eritrea who was forced to give birth alone in a forested area between Poland and Belarus has raised questions about the Polish government's response to the humanitarian crisis at the border dividing the countries.

'We tried every other tactic' University students on why they joined demonstrations

After going on hunger strike in February, Amine ended up spending six days in hospital. The 25-year-old McGill student, who was born in Morocco, did not eat for a total of 34 days: part of a relay system of hunger strikes that is continuing at the university.

French singer target of racism in Olympics row thanks fans at awards

The French pop star Aya Nakamura, who found herself at the centre of a racist row after rumours she was going to sing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, has thanked fans for their support after winning three big prizes at France's Les Flammes awards for rap, R&B and pop.

Waves of exceptionally hot weather scorch south Asia

Millions of people across south and south-east Asia are facing sweltering temperatures, with unusually hot weather forcing schools to close and threatening public health.

Azov brigade The elite unit taking brunt of Russian assault

Fifteen miles east of the garrison town of Lyman, a desperate fight has been taking place for months on Ukraine's eastern front.

Israel Arrest of feminist scholar is 'threat to civil liberties'

The arrest and interrogation of a leading Palestinian legal scholar based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem marks a new threat to civil liberties in Israel, her legal team and employer have said.

Sderot Barrage of rockets raises doubts over IDF's ability to destroy Hamas

The two men, faces blurred and voices disguised, are screened by a dense scrub of fig and trailing vine in northern Gaza as they film themselves loading a rocket launcher.

Removing mines from the rubble of Gaza could take 14 years, UN official warns

Israel's war in Gaza has created 37m tonnes of debris, much of it laced with unexploded bombs, which could take more than a decade to remove, a top UN mine clearance official said.

Exotic spiders thriving in UK due to global trade and a warmer climate

Exotic spiders are flourishing in Britain as global trade offers ample opportunities for spider travel and global heating provides an increasingly hospitable climate.

Plastic peril Animals of Galápagos islands living amid mounds of waste

As our fishing boat slows to a halt in a bay south-east of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, in the Galápagos Islands, a green turtle surfaces next to us, followed by a second, then a third. A spotted eagle ray glides underneath the vessel.

Joys of being homeGreggs, good cheddar and a lot of truculence

Donald Trump's appearance in criminal court has raised many questions, constitutional and otherwise, but on the evidence of the first day I find myself most curious about the former president's McDonald's order.

Lacking teeth Call for tougher law on keeping wild animals

When Lindsay McKenna went to buy a piece W of furniture from a seller, the last thing she expected was to return with a wild animal.

Ageing Does stem cell therapy hold back the years?

Stem cells have become a favoured miracle treatment among the rich and famous, with Kim Kardashian reportedly a fan of stem-cell facials and Cristiano Ronaldo turning to stem cell injections after a hamstring injury.

UK's south Asian shops struggle as smaller weddings hit sales

The south Asian high street is facing a fight for its future as customers scale back wedding celebrations owing to the cost-of-living crisis and young people's changing preferences.

Prickly matter: boss of succulent society quits in row over sourcing of plants

A row has blown up in the UK’s leading succulent society over the practice of snatching desirable specimens from the wild , with the chairperson now resigning in protest over the behaviour of his fellow enthusiasts.

A tenfold increase The real story behind the surge in Vietnamese boat crossings

The people from Vietnam trying to get to England on small boats across the Channel stand out from the rest of those drawn to the Pas de Calais coastline.

Souvenir chic: fashion embraces an early summer holiday vibe

The summer holidays are still a long way away, but for those who cannot wait the souvenirs are already on sale. Coral bracelets, kitsch keyrings and shell bracelets are some of this season’s most covetable accessories.