I have decided to stop using a mirror – and I know it will change my life
It never occurred to me that I could opt out of checking my reflection, but a conversation I heard this week was a total revelation, writes Polly Hudson
There is a path to peace for Starmer and Burnham – even as their backers prepare for battle
If Burnham wins the Makerfield byelection, many are predicting an immediate and stormy showdown. But that could be bad for both men, says Tom Baldwin, author of Keir Starmer: The Biography
UK mosques advised to run lockdown drills amid fears of anti-Muslim attacks
Exclusive: Muslim Council of Britain national guidance also urges mosques to strengthen police ties and improve CCTV
UK vacancies fall to lowest for five years as wages grow faster than expected
Employers became wary of hiring new staff but unemployment eases to 4.9% in the three months to April
The best LED face masks in the UK, tested: 11 light therapy devices that are worth the hype
They claim to fix fine lines, blemishes and redness – but which stand up to scrutiny? We asked dermatologists and put them to the test to find out
L’Orfeo review – Kentridge’s exhilarating creativity animates compelling Monteverdi
A visual whirlwind accompanies charismatic and stylish performances in William Kentridge’s new staging. In the pit, Jonathan Cohen and the OAE add light and shade
A lemony loaf, a stir-fry and a cheeseboard pickle: Ravinder Bhogal’s courgette recipes
Three ways with summer’s versatile vegetable: as a simple meal, a deliciously moist loaf and a South Asian achaar to spice up any cheese sandwich
Christian churches' 'forced adoptions' in the UK: did you lose your child?
The Catholic church of England and Wales has apologised for its part in women being pressured to hand over babies over a 30-year period. Were you affected?
Catholic church apologises for role in 'forced adoptions' over 30-year period
Head of church in England and Wales apologises in documentary about women who were pressured into handing over their babies in the 50s, 60s and 70s
Exhibition on forced adoption prompts outpouring from women moved by loss
The trauma of separation from their babies faced by 19th century unmarried mothers is still raw in responses to the Foundling Museum’s forthcoming show
The legacy of forced adoptions

German families torn apart by forced adoptions during the cold war are still looking for answers – and their lost relatives

The UK’s forced adoption scandal was state-sanctioned abuse
Unmarried mothers were treated with contempt by authorities in the mid-20th century. The same goes for people deemed not to matter today, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
Adoption reforms fail to prioritise family members

The children and families bill exempts councils from their duty to prioritise placing children with a suitable relative, writes Cathy Ashley