It may seem a victory to some, but experts worry a win will allow the government to be coy about future attacks

The Trump administration on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit that takes aim at the abortion pill mifepristone – a move that stunned many observers for what seemed a defense of the drug by a president who has overseen the most dramatic rollback of abortion rights in modern US history.

At first blush, it may seem a victory for abortion access – but experts worry that, in reality, the move preserves the administration’s ability to play coy about any future plans to attack abortion rights.

Cancer 360 will help collate patient information from spreadsheets, emails and records into single digital system

Millions of cancer patients have been promised faster diagnosis and treatment, with the rollout of a new technology across the NHS in England.

The tool, called Cancer 360, is designed to bring cancer patients’ data into one central system in order that doctors and nurses can prioritise those most in need and see them more quickly.

Presenter of ITV’s Lorraine morning show says she expects to be ‘totally fine’ after surgery

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has revealed she is having surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The 65-year-old said in a post on Instagram that the operation was “purely preventative”. She said the procedure was going to be done using keyhole surgery, and that she had undergone scans earlier, and told fans she would be “totally fine”.

As infections pummel communities in the US, Mexico and Canada, fear of ‘the most contagious human disease’ grows

A leading immunologist warned of a “post-herd-immunity world”, as measles outbreaks affect communities with low vaccination rates in the American south-west, Mexico and Canada.

The US is enduring the largest measles outbreak in a quarter-century. Centered in west Texas, the measles outbreak has killed two unvaccinated children and one adult and spread to neighboring states including New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Up to 4,559 people would use the service in the 10th year after its introduction, official impact assessment finds

Up to 12 people a day could be using an assisted dying service a decade after it is introduced, and end-of-life care costs could be cut by millions, an official impact assessment has concluded.

The total number of people using the service in England and Wales is expected to rise from between 164 and 787 in the first year to between 1,042 and 4,559 in the 10th, according to the government’s estimates.

As health institutions collapse and Maha influencers spread food fears, experts say orthorexia is on the rise

Katie*’s struggles with disordered eating began when she was just 11.

A gymnast, she put a lot of value in being petite. Katie, 28, who lives in Utah, remembers longing for candy as a child but “feeling like I couldn’t eat a single Skittle”.

The ‘worst allergy season ever’ in the US. A ‘pollen bomb’ in the UK. I asked experts how to tell if a runny nose is the result of allergies or a virus

Ah, spring. A time of thawing and rebirth, of blooms bursting forth from frost. Days become longer, warmer and – oh no, what’s this? A tickle in your throat. Pressure building in your sinuses. A runny nose. A sneeze. Another sneeze. Was there ever a time before sneezing?

But is it allergies or a cold? Beautiful as springtime may be, the emerging greenery can also expel waves of allergens. So how can you tell if your runny nose is the result of unruly pollen or a virus? Are you infectious or is your immune system overreacting to an outside stimulus?

The ‘worst allergy season ever’ in the US. A ‘pollen bomb’ in the UK. I asked experts how to tell if a runny nose is the result of allergies or a virus

Ah, spring. A time of thawing and rebirth, of blooms bursting forth from frost. Days become longer, warmer and – oh no, what’s this? A tickle in your throat. Pressure building in your sinuses. A runny nose. A sneeze. Another sneeze. Was there ever a time before sneezing?

But is it allergies or a cold? Beautiful as springtime may be, the emerging greenery can also expel waves of allergens. So how can you tell if your runny nose is the result of unruly pollen or a virus? Are you infectious or is your immune system overreacting to an outside stimulus?

Analysis finds government stats for Black and Asian adults in England are in error due to outdated guidance

A million minority ethnic adults are wrongly classified as weighing below the thresholds for being overweight or obese due to official figures not using up-to-date guidance, a leading charity has warned.

Analysis by Nesta has found that, while official statistics class 64% of adults in England as being overweight or living with obesity, the correct figure should be 67%.

British Medical Association says move comes after union was unable to reach agreement with Wes Streeting

Thousands of resident doctors in England will be balloted for strike action over pay, raising the threat of a summer of stoppages, the British Medical Association has announced.

The move comes seven months after they accepted a 22.3% pay rise over two years, for 2023-24 and 2024-25, bringing to an end one of the longest and bitterest disputes in recent NHS history.

After the US health secretary called for autistic people to be tracked, readers rebuked the idea that ASD is a tragedy

When Robert F Kennedy Jr announced a major project to track the health of people with autism, autistic people and their friends and families reacted with shock and anger.

They also expressed dismay and concern over the US health secretary’s incorrect and “weird” approach to autism spectrum disorder.

UKHSA says people in most deprived areas almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital as those in least deprived

People in the most deprived areas of England are almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital as a result of infectious diseases than their least deprived counterparts, according to a major study.

The report, by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), analysed NHS and government data to look at the state of health inequalities in England due to infectious diseases and environmental health hazards.

Long-awaited document, which could be published as soon as Friday, is expected to make difficult reading

A long-awaited assessment of the impact of assisted dying legislation will put a price on administrating the procedure for the first time and is expected to conclude it will save parts of the NHS money by accelerating the deaths of terminally ill people.

The Whitehall document, which is expected as soon as Friday, is likely to make difficult reading for both sides of the campaign, government sources have suggested.

In ‘comprehensive’ 409-page report, department claims medical care should be avoided though harms are ‘sparse’

The federal health department released what it described as a “comprehensive review” of pediatric gender dysphoria – advocating for therapy instead of medical care for youth whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex.

The 409-page report claimed that while the harms of such medical treatment are “sparse”, medical treatment should be avoided in favor of therapy for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

Singer steps in to help non-verbal four-year-old Iain Gregori, who was ‘lost in the system’

Rod Stewart has offered to pay for the autism diagnosis of a child who has spent three years on a waiting list.

The singer stepped in after reading about the case of four-year-old Iain Gregori, who is non-verbal and is due to start school this summer.

Trump and Crimea | IQ tests | Scottish midges | Dark digestives | Champagne socialism

I wish some journalist would ask Donald Trump: “Mr President, if America were invaded, which states would you surrender to achieve peace?” Of course, their organisation would be barred from all subsequent press conferences, but it would be worth it (Zelenskyy says Ukraine cannot accept US recognition of Crimea as Russian, 24 April).
John Illingworth
Bradford

• The elephant in the room here is that all IQ tests are historically, socially and culturally specific, and hence inevitably reproduce the inequalities embodied in their moment of origin (Maga’s sinister obsession with IQ is leading us towards an inhuman future, 28 April).
Prof Anthea Callen
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Labour face first electoral test since general election with more than 1,600 council seats up for grabs. This live blog is closed

• Is your council up for election and what’s at stake?

One of the signs that Bluesky is functioning as a decent alternative to Elon Musk’s X is the fact that it has become a decent source for #dogsatpollingstations. Here are some of the nicer pictures I have seen there this morning.

The Metropolitan police has confirmed that counter-terrorism police are investigating footage that appears to show Irish language rap band Kneecap calling for politicians to be killed, and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

On April 22, we were made aware of an online video believed to be from a music event in London in November 2024. Following this, we were made aware of a further video, believed to be from another music event in London in November 2023.

Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos.

Experts are alarmed as department says it will alter vaccine testing methods and build new ‘surveillance systems’

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his department have made a series of misleading statements that alarmed vaccine experts and advocates in recent days – including that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine includes “aborted fetus debris”.

Health department officials released statements saying they could alter vaccine testing and build new “surveillance systems” on Wednesday, both of which have unnerved experts who view new placebo testing as potentially unethical.

TV, tablets and smartphones ‘hinder and alter brain development’, open letter says

Children under the age of six should not be exposed to screens, including television, to avoid permanent damage to their brain development, French medical experts have said.

TV, tablets, computers, video games and smartphones have “already had a heavy impact on a young generation sacrificed on the altar of ignorance”, according to an open letter to the government from five leading health bodies – the societies of paediatrics, public health, ophthalmology, child and adolescent psychiatry, and health and environment.

Labour backbenchers put forward amendment to legislation that would reform ‘archaic abortion law’

MPs are expected to vote on whether to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales this summer, with two Labour backbenchers to put forward amendments to government legislation to change the law.

The Labour MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy are believed to be putting forward separate amendments.