The Guardian

Cambridge experts recreate 336-year-old garden to commemorate ‘father of natural history’

John Ray, 17th-century botanist who coined words petal and pollen, was a tutor at Cambridge when he created his first gardenHe coined the terms petal and pollen, helped to lay the foundations of modern biology and is widely regarded as the greatest English naturalist of the 17th century.But it was while he was a young college tutor at Cambridge in the 1650s that the botanist John Ray – also known as “the father of natural history” – created his first known garden and began to systematically stud

general  Jun 18, 2026

Washington Post World

The local election that could topple Britain’s prime minister

The outcome of a special election in the small working-class district of Makerfield has the potential to upend Labour Party leadership and U.K. politics.

general  Jun 18, 2026

BBC World

Apple to raise prices as AI boom pushes up chip costs

The firm's outgoing boss Tim Cook did not say when prices would rise or which products would be affected.

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Plan to ban ‘private equity sharks’ from social care dropped, Wes Streeting says

Exclusive: Ex-minister accuses Labour of ‘overcautiousness’ and says his proposal was cut from manifestoWes Streeting has said his plan to ban “private equity sharks” from the social care sector was removed from the Labour manifesto, as he accused the government of “overcautiousness” in reforming the industry.In a Fabian Society report on how to create a national care service, Streeting said overhauling social care was “one of the defining challenges of our age” but an “absence of good political

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Tesco’s UK sales growth more than halves amid Iran war uncertainty

UK’s biggest retailer reports better figures than expected by City analysts and is cheered by strong online salesBusiness live – latest updatesTesco’s UK sales growth has more than halved as it said the conflict in the Middle East had created “ongoing uncertainty for many households”.The UK’s biggest retailer said comparable sales rose 1.8% in the three months to the end of May, well below the 4.2% reported in the previous quarter. Continue reading...

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Media union blasts Pauline Hanson’s ‘bitter, unprofessional’ attack on Guardian journalist

Union calls for journalists to stand with colleagues when they are targeted by politicians as Anthony Albanese says media organisations play ‘vital roles in our democracy’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe media union has condemned One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s attack on Guardian Australia senior correspondent Sarah Martin, as Anthony Albanese called on journalists to defend public broadcasters SBS and the ABC

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

UK unemployment rate falls to 4.9% and wages grow more than expected

Drop will put pressure on Bank of England to raise interest rates despite peace deal in Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesUnemployment fell and wages increased in April, official figures showed, putting pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates despite a peace deal in the Middle East.The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed unemployment slipped to 4.9% in the three months to April from 5% in the three months to March. Continue reading...

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Inquest into Melbourne influencer’s death following freebirth halted after new phone evidence discovered

Coroner tells freebirth inquest new material ‘of such significance’ any findings must be postponed so information can be analysedThe closing submissions in an inquest into the death of a woman who gave birth at home with no support from medically trained health workers has been delayed, after new evidence came to light following a forensic analysis of her mobile phone.Stacey Warnecke, a 30 year-old nutritionist, died on 29 September in Frankston hospital in Melbourne. Continue reading...

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Moscow oil refinery on fire after ‘large-scale’ Ukrainian drone strike

Mayor of Russian capital claims ‌about 180 drones heading to the city were shot down as flames and smoke billow over outskirtsUkrainian drones hit Moscow’s ⁠oil refinery for the second time ⁠this week, sending out flames and plumes ⁠of smoke over the south-eastern district of Kapotnya on Thursday morning.“Air defence forces are continuing to repel a large-scale attack. Several drones managed to reach the [Moscow oil refinery],” said Sergei Sobyanin, the city’s mayor, adding that a shopping centr

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Dubai property sales have fallen ‘off a cliff’ since start of Middle East war

Sellers of luxury villas have wiped tens of millions of pounds off asking prices, with sales down 19% in May from the previous monthProperty sales in Dubai have fallen “off a cliff”, a leading market watcher has said, after war in the Middle East forced a dramatic slowdown in one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets.Sales in the city dropped 19% in May compared with the previous month, accelerating from a 4% drop in April, the researcher ValuStrat found. Continue reading...

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Ukraine bolsters its northern defences amid fears Belarus is being dragged into war

Kyiv is not taking any risks amid Moscow’s efforts to integrate Minsk ever more closely into its warRussian spy drones flying into Ukraine from Belarusian airspace have sharply increased since the beginning of the year, as senior officials in Kyiv express mounting concern over Belarus’s involvement in the war.Ukraine has stepped up by reinforcing fortifications on its northern border, including anti-tank ditches, concrete “dragons’ teeth” obstacles to block armoured vehicles and new areas of bar

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Labour campaigners in Makerfield fear their sheer numbers may annoy voters

Up to 3,000 activists – including cabinet ministers and other MPs – descending on constituency to back Andy BurnhamUp to 3,000 Labour campaigners are expected to descend on Makerfield for Andy Burnham, prompting fears among organisers that the hordes of activists may end up overwhelming voters during Thursday’s byelection.Local hotels are fully booked and party members are expected to be dispatched to polling stations, and to leaflet people waiting at bus stops and school gates to avoid swamping

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Russia-linked arson attacks show bad actors targeting UK, says Starmer

Prime minister says country needs to resist those who seek to ‘exploit division’ and ‘destabilise democracy’The trial of two Russian-linked arsonists who targeted property connected to Keir Starmer shows that the UK is under attack from bad actors who want to “exploit division” and “destabilise our democracy”, the prime minister has said.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, from Romania, were found guilty on Monday of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property l

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Taliban order ban on smartphones as officials shown destroying devices

Directive aimed at government workers, but reports of wider implementation spark warnings of future Afghanistan-wide prohibitionThe Taliban have ordered a sweeping ban on the use of smartphones by government officials – in what some analysts say could foreshadow broader, population-level restrictions.In a directive issued by the Taliban’s military courts and reviewed by the Guardian, the ban was to take effect this week and prohibits “high rank, low rank, general mujahideen, or service staff” fr

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

BBC made second Ashley Cain TV series despite alleged misconduct

Filming in Las Vegas was suspended and Cain replaced as presenter after he appeared to be drunk, sources sayBBC presenter Ashley Cain called women ‘slags’, ‘sluts’ and ‘bitches’Warning: this article contains sexually explicit, offensive languageThe BBC made a second documentary series fronted by the presenter Ashley Cain just months after it was informed about an incident of alleged misconduct on a separate production in Las Vegas, which caused filming to be suspended and another presenter flown

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Racism hindered NSW police investigation into the 1988 death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines, inquest found

Coroner overturned initial police finding of suicide, saying their investigation was ‘deeply flawed, superficial and inadequate from the outset’•Warning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe police investigation into the death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines in northern New South Wales nearly four decades ago was hindered by raci

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

More than 13,000 seal pups die on remote Australian island amid bird flu outbreak

Testing confirms spread of deadly H5N1 virus on the subantarctic Heard Island, about 4,000km south-west of PerthFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than 13,000 seal pups have died on an Australian territory, as testing confirmed the spread of deadly H5N1 bird flu among penguins, seals and petrels on subantarctic islands.The mass mortality of southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island, about 4,000km south-west of P

general  Jun 18, 2026

The Guardian

Middle East crisis live: Tehran says it will charge ships in strait of Hormuz after 60 days; US-Iran presidents sign peace deal

Chief Iranian negotiator says key waterway will ‘not return to prewar conditions’ after 60-day window; both sides sign memorandum of understanding extending truceReaction: Donald Trump’s Iran deal met with anger, relief and incredulityAnalysis: Trump’s Iran deal is result of unrealistic ambitions for an untenable warPakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier in the day that the agreement between the US and Iran agreement was taking “immediate effect” after being signed by both sides.He

general  Jun 18, 2026

NY Times World

In Southeast Asia, Switching to Solar Offers Relief from Energy Crisis Caused by Iran War

Homeowners and businesses in the region, which relies heavily on imported oil, are installing rooftop solar panels to reduce the sting of soaring energy costs.

general  Jun 18, 2026

NY Times World

Why the By-Election in Makerfield Will Have Giant Consequences for the UK

Here is what to know about the by-election on Thursday in Makerfield, the outcome of which could lead to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ouster.

general  Jun 18, 2026