A picture is worth 1000 words, especially when you are a late-19th or early-20th century horticulturist eager to protect intellectual property rights to newly cultivated varieties of fruit. Or an art...

Near-ideal conditions have led to high yields at some of the country’s best loved orchards and walled gardens The nights may be drawing in and the days becoming chillier, but there is cheering news from some of the UK’s best loved orchards and walled gardens: a bumper crop of apples and pumpkins. Fruit and squashes have ripened weeks earlier than normal in many places and yields are higher thanks to near-ideal conditions, including 2024’s wet weather followed by a warm and dry spring and plenty of summer sun this year. Continue reading...

Audio drama is full of wonderful post-apocalyptic adventures, but right now we're going to look a little closer to home. All of these episodes are glimpses into the near future, some of which will…

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will either clear the House of Commons and move to the Lords, or fail completely The relatively narrow majority of 55 from the historic yes vote in November means every vote will count on Friday. As an example, the assisted dying bill would fall if 28 MPs switched directly from voting yes to no, but only if all other MPs voted exactly the same way as they did in November, including those who abstained, reports the PA news agency. Higher tax receipts were unable to prevent a rise in public sector borrowing in May to £17.7bn, up from £17bn a year earlier and the second highest for the month on record. A poll of City economists had forecast public sector net borrowing – the difference between public spending and income – would be £17.1bn. The figures will add to the concerns that the government is struggling to bring down the annual deficit to keep within strict spending rules. Thousands of European airline staff are being trained to stop people boarding flights to Britain without valid visas, in a move billed by the foreign secretary as a digital upgrade to border controls. David Lammy said the measures marked a step towards “more secure, more digital and more effective” borders, but the move could raise questions about human rights safeguards. Cuts of £5bn to the UK overseas aid budget cannot be challenged in the courts, government lawyers have said, even though ministers have no plan to return spending to the legal commitment of 0.7 % of UK gross national income (GNI). The Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned as a whip in protest at the government’s welfare plans, saying she will not be able to vote for the cuts to disability payments. Children in England face prolonged “lost learning” caused by extreme heat and flooding at school, according to research on the potential impact of the climate crisis on education. School leaders and teachers said the scenarios published by the Department for Education made for grim reading and urged ministers to move quickly to improve school resilience. Continue reading...