England has just had its hottest June on record, Met Office data shows
Chief scientist says dangerous heatwaves, which are getting more likely, ‘bring home the implications of climate change’
Should public services be run by private equity firms?
Letters: Mal Williams thinks private equity should be excluded from essential services, while Ian Graham draws attention to dental practices. Plus letters from Rob Harrison, Tony Fletcher and Michael Moore, who defends private equity’s role
Escaping the tide on Horsey Island
Brief letters: Family history | Zebra finches | Maggie and Margo | Monarch memory | Ancient trees
Adoption gives many children a good chance
Letters: Anne Rogers writes that adoption can be the best outcome for some children, even when it goes against the wishes of birth parents. Plus letters from Cat Bracey and Graham Whitaker
Loch Ness hydropower project will damage shoreline and ancient woodland
Letter: Neil Mackenzie on the environmental impact of the Loch Kemp project
We can live without AI, but can we live without clean water?
Letters: Readers respond to an article about Erin Brockovich’s battle against datacentres and voice their fears for the environment
At a poet’s memorial, I saw how Andy Burnham could be a different kind of prime minister
The putative PM-to-be explained how one of Tony Harrison’s poems gave him a new outlook, says poet and author Blake Morrison
Bayeux tapestry tickets generate nine-hour online queues as public scramble for access
Up to 80,000 people were reported to be waiting by mid-afternoon as tickets went on sale to see historic artwork at the British Museum
‘Financial pandemic’: £1 in every £11 spent on UK public contractors goes to private equity
Almost £24.4bn of government money went to private equity-run firms in year to April 2025, Guardian analysis shows
Forced adoptions in Britain were to everybody’s shame
Letter: As well as a government apology, parents, charities and mother and baby homes should take responsibility, writes Christine Hayes
First major hydropower projects in Great Britain in 40 years given go-ahead
Three pumped storage hydroelectric power station sites in Scotland on list of 16 long-duration electricity storage plans
Nominate your invertebrate of the year
We’re asking people from around the world to nominate their favourite spineless species for our third Invertebrate of the Year competition
Death by firing squad: archaic method on the rise in US as Idaho opens new execution chamber
Supporters of the method say it’s foolproof – but forensic experts say it can be ‘excruciating’ amid allegations it has been intentionally botched