AstraZeneca should stick to its winning formula. It doesn’t need a $400bn US mega-mergerThe Anglo-Swedish drugmaker’s flirtation with a grand combo with US group Bristol Myers Squibb is bafflingWire*·August 3, 2026
Fred Stone obituaryOther lives: Engineer whose company made parts for toys and machines, and who was also an expert model makerWire*·August 3, 2026
AstraZeneca falls to third-largest UK company amid US merger talksProposed $400bn tie-up with Bristol Myers Squibb would create world’s fourth-largest drugmaker but analysts question rationaleWire*·August 3, 2026
Did you solve it? Are you a match for the world’s smartest teen?The solution to today’s puzzleWire*·August 3, 2026
July was driest month in southern England since records began England and Wales provisionally record driest July in nearly 200 years, Met Office saysWire*·August 3, 2026
Science funding cuts will harm Britain’s global standing Letters: Readers respond to an editorial about the threat to research funding, including plans to close the Jodrell Bank ObservatoryWire*·August 3, 2026
The buzz about fly infestations this summer<strong>Letters: </strong>Readers respond to an article on the swarms of houseflies people are having to cope with in hot weatherWire*·August 3, 2026
Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school testsPupils who open accounts aged 11 to 12 score lower in some subjects than those who wait a few years, study findsWire*·August 3, 2026
‘The obsession with endless growth can only end in tears’: your questions on extreme weather this summer answered From Europe’s deadly heat to floods in Asia, it’s been a terrifying summer. Environment writers Jonathan Watts and Ajit Niranjan answered Reddit users’ questions about their work – and their sources of hopeWire*·August 3, 2026
UK economy faces recession if strait of Hormuz remains closed, EY warns - as it happenedRolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsWire*·August 3, 2026
Oil prices plunge and Europe’s markets rally after Trump calls off Iran strikesBrent crude drops by 5% after US president claimed talks on Middle East peace deal would resumeWire*·August 3, 2026
‘Bumbling, mumbling’ tidiers of our world: the unexpected superpowers of the common woodlouseThis detritivore – known by a range of colourful names – feeds on rotting plant matter and can withstand toxic pollutionWire*·August 3, 2026
UK manufacturing growth picks up as Trump tariff chaos easesFactories in upbeat mood despite fears over economic impact of US war on Iran, poll findsWire*·August 3, 2026
Yen hits three-month high after Trump helps prop up currencyUS and Japanese governments confirm they carried out a rare joint intervention late last weekWire*·August 3, 2026
Weather tracker: Austria breaks heat records as Japan braces for Typhoon Dolphin Soaring temperatures continue to sweep parts of Europe, while Okinawa faces powerful winds and storm surgesWire*·August 3, 2026
Can you solve it? Are you a match for the world’s smartest teen?A genius puzzle from a teenage geniusWire*·August 3, 2026
Starwatch: Mercury to reach farthest point from the sunMorning sky offers rare opportunity for a glimpse at solar system’s innermost worldWire*·August 3, 2026
Country diary: Down an old lead mine, an explosion of colour<strong>Garrigill, Cumbria:</strong> The abandoned Tynebottom mine is alive with vivid orange, raspberry-ripple pink and sulphurous yellow. But it’s the cave pearls that captivate me mostWire*·August 3, 2026
Artists, writers and scientists urge UK government to save Jodrell Bank ObservatoryNew Order and Simon Armitage among more than 100 signatories to criticise ‘foolish and shortsighted’ cutsWire*·August 2, 2026
Healey’s profiteering warning on food and fuel risks row with retailersChancellor says the government wants to prevent shoppers being ‘taken for a ride’ at the pump or tillWire*·August 2, 2026
Britain could face food shortages as drought continues, farmers warnFarmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops as heatwave set to continueWire*·August 2, 2026
Traffic, mobiles, music … let’s turn the volume down<strong>Letters: </strong>Readers respond to an editorial on the health impact of noise pollution Wire*·August 2, 2026
Solar powers record share of Britain’s electricity mix in JulyFarms and rooftop panels contribute 14.4% to the grid – and figures reveal a surge in new installations Wire*·August 2, 2026
Karl’s ‘great net zero debate’ was anything but – so beware Coalition claims of renewables taking over ‘two Tasmanias’One expert described Nationals leader Matt Canavan’s claim of land used for clean energy as ‘plain wrong and plain silly’Wire*·August 2, 2026
For most US small businesses, Trump’s tariffs aren’t the big issue they wereTariffs are annoying and disruptive, but this round is less impactful – and business owners are taking them in their strideWire*·August 2, 2026
