A record of what was published, when, and how it changed.

Dramatic drop in Catholic baptisms across island of Ireland

By Patsy McGarry

Iona Institute says falling birth rates account for about 60 per cent of decline, with secularisation accounting for the remainder

Brain-breaking sex, bad boys in leather and queer glory: why TV vampires are so intoxicating

By Kayleigh Dray

The Vampire Lestat has seduced fans around the world with his eye-popping antics. But this obsession with hot vamps goes way beyond forbidden love, bare chests and a taste for LSD-laced blood If you want TV audiences to forgive a fictional man for absolutely anything, just sharpen his fangs and stick him in velvet. Case in point? The horny musical drama The Vampire Lestat, which became a cult hit in the US earlier th

Phyllida Law, prolific performer across stage and screen, dies aged 94

By Andrew Pulver

As adept at comedy and musicals as she was drama, Law also acted alongside daughters Sophie and Emma Thompson in a career spanning eight decades Phyllida Law, whose prolific acting career encompassed a wide range of stage, TV and film roles – a number of which were alongside her daughters, Emma and Sophie Thompson – has died aged 94. Her personal manager, Jacky Leggo, said in a statement that she “died supremely peac

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Cool as a cucumber: recipes and tips to save you from cooking in a heatwave | Kitchen aide

By Anna Berrill

When ovens and stovetops just won’t do, turn to loaded toasts, open sandwiches, cold noodles and smashed cucumbers, say our no-cook experts It’s too hot to turn on the oven or stove. What can I make for dinner that’s still substantial? Mark, via email This sounds like a job for Lucy Carr-Ellison, of Tart London, who is fully functioning in a no-oven household. “We moved in last year and there’s an Aga, which was amaz

Three injured as new tremors hit Granada in Spain

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Tourist access to the medieval Alhambra complex was restricted after three more earthquakes shook Spain's southern Granada province.

Ireland keep World Cup hopes alive with New Zealand win

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Ireland's World Cup hopes remain alive and kicking after Gareth Grundie's side produced a fine second half to beat New Zealand 3-2 at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Belgium.

St Pat's to face Bohemians in FAI Cup quarter-finals

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St Patrick's Athletic must overcome another Dublin rival in the Club Orange FAI Cup after being paired with Bohemians in the quarter-final draw today.

‘Our task is to laugh at these enemies’: the Ukrainian unit posting drone videos of Russian soldiers’ last moments

By Luke Harding in Kyiv

Creators of chase compilations reject any moral qualms and say they show ‘death is waiting’ for those who join war To many observers they will appear dehumanising and offensive. To many Ukrainians, however, they are a brutal reminder of the fate that awaits Russian soldiers who take part in Vladimir Putin’s invasion, as well as a potent propaganda weapon. Over the past year and a half, videos of kamikaze drones chasi

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Exports to US continue month-on-month volatility

By Stephen Conneely

Ireland exported €4.3 billion worth of goods to the US in June, down from €5.1 billion in April but up from €3.5 billion in January

‘The ultimate gamers’ mascot’: Sonic the Hedgehog at 35 – from 2D to 3D to a billion-dollar film franchise

By Keith Stuart

Sonic’s creators explain how the speedy scamp has kept on running through generations as an enduring avatar of ‘attitude in the face of adversity’ One day in the early 1990s, I came home from university for the weekend and discovered that my dad had bought himself a Sega Mega Drive, bundled with a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I knew about Sega’s mascot of course. The launch of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game in

England’s ancient oak trees dying in extreme hot and dry weather

By Pippa Neill and Safeerah Ahmed

Woodland Trust says trees struggling in drought stress, with older ‘survivors’ disproportionately affected England’s ancient oak trees are dying in the summer’s extreme heat and dry weather, according to the Woodland Trust, with trees and ecosystems unable to adapt fast enough to the changing climate. The heatwaves across much of Europe this summer have had a notable impact on crop growth and plant health. To cope wi

Ever wondered how teachers treat your children when you’re not there? Then listen to this

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Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan

Winds hampering efforts to extinguish Belgian wildfire

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Firefighters have launched a potentially decisive push to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century, despite wind and rain hampering air support operations over the High Fens nature reserve.

Oberstown workers protest outside Dept of Children

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Workers from Oberstown Children Detention Campus have held a protest outside the Department of Children as part of an ongoing industrial relations dispute.

Poet Anna D on the transition into motherhood: ‘I was burning out really quickly’

By Ellen Clusker

The Women’s Podcast with Róisín Ingle

M9 crash: Car involved in fatal incident was bought rather than stolen, gardaí believe

By Vivienne Clarke, Hugh Dooley

Garda representatives warn that roads policing units are under-resourced and members lack pursuit training

DR Congo Ebola outbreak 'far from under control': WHO

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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving faster than any previous epidemic of the disease and risks spreading to more countries, the head of the World Health Organization has warned.

Meta hooked children and misled public, trial told

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Meta intentionally sought to addict children to its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a lawyer for California said at the start of a trial that could reshape some of the most popular apps on the planet.

Match review – gory and slyly satirical catfishing horror for the age of Hinge

By Leslie Felperin

Online dating’s eternal bugbear reaches a horrific apotheosis in this funny, grimy and impishly directed shocker Paola (Humberly González) is a pretty young woman about to turn 30 who hasn’t found herself a steady boyfriend – so, like many people of her generation, she’s on all the dating apps. The algorithm finds her match in Henry, who looks clean cut and kind eyed – or, at least, that’s what he seems from a very s

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Money Doctor John Lowe dies aged 75

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The founder of Money Doctors, financial adviser John Lowe, has died.

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Over 1,100 asylum applications processed under new Act

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1,106 asylum applications were processed through the new screening system introduced under the International Protection Act in its first two months of operation.

Phoebe Bridgers review – high priestess of ambiguity turns grief Technicolor in intimate church show

By Aimee Cliff

Union Chapel, London Ahead of playing arenas this winter, Bridgers gives her third album, Lost Weekend, a stripped-back UK debut that makes its bewitching songs sound even more astounding Three days after the rapturous release of her third album, Lost Weekend, Phoebe Bridgers invites 900 people into her bedroom to hear her play some of its devastating songs live – or at least, that’s how it feels inside Union Chapel

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The best vacuum cleaners in the UK for hard floors, carpet and pet hair – tested

By Andy Shaw

From handheld to corded, self-emptying to stick models, these are our resident cleaner’s favourite vacuums for a spotless home • The best cordless vacuum cleaners, tested • How to make your vacuum cleaner last longer Buying a vacuum cleaner isn’t as easy as you might think. With so many brands and models to choose from, it can be bewildering. Sticking with established brands isn’t necessarily a safe bet, with past pe

Houseplant hacks: should you always quarantine new plants to avoid pests spreading?

By Gynelle Leon

Any new addition to your collection can contain stowaways, so you’d be wise to deploy a little patience – but how long is long enough? The problem There is nothing quite like the joy of bringing home a new plant. You find the perfect spot, nestle it in among your others, and stand back to admire the new arrival. What you cannot see are its passengers: a few spider mites tucked under a leaf, mealybug eggs in a joint,

Dressmaker – a canvas for the creativity of dream dress design

By Jordan Erica Webber

Co-created by a developer and his sewing-obsessed partner, this design game is ‘the most technically challenging’ its lead programmer has ever made When Jonathan Hau-Yoon wanted to make something as meaningful as the environmental strategy game Terra Nil, he turned for inspiration to his longtime partner. Sabrina Becker had worn a dress she made herself to their very first date, and would have studied costume design