Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Features

<p>Georgia Harrison had tried everything to have a baby over the six years since she met her partner Duncan in 2019 – here seen with their baby Sunny whom they had via a surrogate in Mexico earlier this year </p>

‘Our surrogate went into labour in Mexico while we were mid-flight’

After six years of a challenging fertility journey, Georgia Harrison, a 46-year-old vice-president of a medical communications agency and a yoga and meditation teacher, finally had her baby with the help of a surrogate in Mexico. But the journey there involved more pain and unexpected heartbreak than she ever could have anticipated, she tells Charlotte Cripps

<p>Motorists beware: Being car-dependent might not be the key to happiness</p>

in focus

Get out of your car if you want to be less lonely

<p>Some women wear waist trainers – a long piece of tight fabric that squashes the torso into a smaller size – to the gym, to work or during sleep</p>

let's unpack that

Waist trainers are making a comeback – this is what you should know

<p>Kylie Jenner, her sister Khloe Kardashian and their mother Kris Jenner, have all dished out details about their surgery treatments in recent weeks</p>

It’s not ‘empowering’ for the Kardashians to be honest about surgery

<p>The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star in Netflix series ‘America’s Sweethearts’</p>

COMMENT

Netflix hit America’s Sweethearts is setting a sad example for girls

<p>Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Who’s the most self-obsessed of them all?</p>

Why becoming more self-obsessed is the last thing Gen Z needs

<p>Women undergoing IVF aren’t entitled to time off for treatment</p>

in focus

Of course women should be allowed time off work for IVF

Latest news

More features

<p>Behavioural science has had a reckoning in the last 10 years</p>

The scandal that rocked behavioural science and sparked revolution

<p>Writer Olivia Petter takes a break from the chaos (and heat) at one of the festival’s five Sensory Calm Spaces</p>

Glastonbury’s biggest change this year was also its quietest

<p>Can’t handle the heat? There are alternatives to aircon</p>

Does it make sense to get an air conditioner in the UK?

<p>Hats off to the attendees of Glastonbury, though many have them firmly on to protect from scorching temperatures</p>

Glastonbury 2025

Oasis-core is as ubiquitous at Glastonbury as a ‘Wonderwall’ singalong

Fitness and wellness

<p>According to experts, immunity and the gut are connected</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Is there a link between gut health and allergies? An expert explains

Could what you eat really affect the severity of your symptoms?

Fitness and wellbeing

Is there a link between gut health and allergies? An expert explains

Could what you eat really affect the severity of your symptoms?

<p>According to experts, immunity and the gut are connected</p>

<p>I've tried everything to soothe my TMJ symptoms</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Could botox for teeth grinding cure my TMJ? I tried it to find out

<p>A walking expert has shared the many benefits of going for a short walk after eating a meal </p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Expert says a walk after eating can protect health for decades to come

<p>Running a marathon for the first time has meant being discerning about my kit</p>

Sports & Fitness

I’m running the London Marathon – these are my training essentials

<p>I taped my mouth shut every night to see if the Tiktok trend might actually be worth it</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

I tried mouth taping for three weeks, and the results surprised me

<p>I taped my mouth shut every night to see if the Tiktok trend might actually be worth it</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

I tried mouth taping for three weeks, and the results surprised me

<p>My therapist advised me to pick up a copy of the book and the rest is history</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

How living with less changed my life

<p>The female-dominated New Age and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory are colliding in ‘conspirituality’</p>

Wellness is turning people into right-wing conspiracy theorists

Food features

<p>Harissa is one of Gurdeep Loyal’s go-to shortcuts for instant depth and heat</p>

The five ingredients that will change the way you cook

<p>Oak-smoked tinola chicken, served with soul and smoke – Shah’s take on the classic Filipino broth channels comfort food through a fire-kissed, modern bistro lens</p>

From ube to adobo: The man who made London crave Filipino food

<p>The sandwich in question: sweet, summery, and – depending on who you ask – possibly taxable</p>

Could the M&S strawberries and cream sandwich really get taxed?

<p>Tamimi says his mission is simple: to keep talking about Palestine – and feeding its stories to the world</p>

Ottolenghi co-founder: ‘We must keep Palestine alive through food’

Recipes

<p>Paccheri never looked so punchy – this fiery, boozy pasta is all about maximum flavour with minimal effort</p>

This fennel sausage pasta is loud, spicy and a little bit boozy

<p>A trio of vibrant summer dishes designed to support gut health and boost plant diversity</p>

Three easy summer recipes to support gut health

<p>Street food with soul: Shah’s chicken inasal, marinated in vinegar, lemongrass and annatto, delivers that smoky, sticky-sweet punch every barbecue deserves</p>

Two bold Filipino recipes from chef Omar Shah to try at home

Life Stories

<p>After having five children of her own, Charlotte Johnson-Daniels decided to help childless couples and become a surrogate in 2022</p>

‘I’m a surrogate – but I don’t want to make money from a baby’

<p>Mohammed Nayef Salem is 18 and has been training as an entertainer since he was 12</p>

‘I’m a clown in a war zone – it’s an incredibly important job’

<p>Lauren Bateman, who received under-eye filler from a woman without medical qualifications</p>

‘I got under-eye filler – then felt like my face was going to explode’

<p>Rachael Doman and her husband Paul with their three children</p>

‘I went from zero children to being a mum to three kids overnight’

Independent TV

<p>The Prince and Princess of Wales helped host the French President and his wife at Windsor</p>

Princess Kate stuns in Givenchy gown at royal state banquet return

<p>Martin Lewis warns families missing out on up to £2000 in childcare support costs a year</p>

Families missing out on up to £2,000 childcare support costs a year

<p></p>

This Morning presenter nearly falls overboard during live boat report

<p></p>

Molly-Mae compares herself to Tommy Fury in parenting admission

Deals

<p>Enjoy Garden Trading’s amazing site-wide deals</p>

Enjoy 20% off all homeware and garden at Garden Trading

<p></p>

Marks & Spencer discount codes for July – save 10% site-wide

Save up to 60% on luxury bags, jewellery and more at Aspinal of London

<p>Enjoy the best of Jacamo with these deals</p>

Save over 25% on fashion, tech and gaming at Jacamo

Design

From open units to wall cabinets, these furnishings give you the freedom to make a feature (Mustard Made/PA)

9 shelving ideas to flaunt favourite finds

<p>Custom-built sleeping nooks seamlessly incorporated into cabinetry are becoming more common</p>

Creature comforts: How pets are shaping home design

Celebrate summer with seaside style (Direct.asda/PA)

10 ways to channel chic coastal decor

Royal Family

<p></p>

King shares behind-the-scenes video of State Banquet at Windsor Castle

<p></p>

Princess of Wales shares touching moment with cancer patients

<p>The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Colchester Hospital in Essex</p>

Kate Middleton reveals ‘life-changing’ cancer journey

Women

<p>Readers debate whether women should have to work the week of their period</p>

‘Try working 12-hours on your period’: Readers torn on menstrual leave

<p></p>

The Independent Influence List list on display at the Outernet

<p>Some are calling Blue’s stunt a bizarre cash grab while others have called it a trauma response</p>

Bonnie Blue isn’t the problem: it’s the men who want to sleep with her

Dating and Relationships

<p>Dating app Bumble will shed 30 percent of its workforce as it explores how AI can be deployed in online dating</p>

Major layoffs at dating app Bumble with business at ‘inflection point’

<p>‘It’s usually men who make it an issue’: Readers on height in dating</p>

‘It’s usually men who make it an issue’: Readers on height in dating

<p>The couple at an event held by the Clooney Foundation for Justice in New York in 2024</p>

George Clooney says he’s never argued with his wife – that’s a problem

indy100

news

Kate Moss’s daughter Lila launches first Barbie doll with type one diabetes

Kate Moss’s daughter Lila launches first Barbie doll with type one diabetes

politics

Student loan forgiveness: What Trump's reshaping of the cancellation program means for you

gaming

GTA 6: Did Rockstar Games releasing trailer 2 and screenshots kill the hype?

politics

Elon Musk finally launches America Party - and the irony isn’t lost on people

news

What is a death cap mushroom? How Erin Patterson carried out savage poisoning explained

news

What is a death cap mushroom? How Erin Patterson carried out savage poisoning explained

science-tech

Sweet moment endangered woylies released in groundbreaking wildlife restoration project

politics

The 20 most stupid things Donald Trump has ever said