Author: Liam Porter

Within a week of moving house, three years ago, I was dreaming of climbing plants: anything that could clothe the uninspiring domesticity of my new garden’s bare fences.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Three summers on, I have a good sense of which climbers thrust ahead and which take their time to get established; which spread thinly or densely; which annuals offer up a temporary, seasonal backdrop; which climb perfectly well unaided; and which benefit from a supportive frame. Here are 10 climbers I’ve enjoyed growing, and how…

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen with the midfielder declaring his desire to ‘win everything’. The German will cost a club record £100m and his price could rise with add-ons to £116m, which would make him the most expensive British transfer.Leverkusen had wanted €150m (£127.6m) for the 22-year-old, who also attracted interest from Bayern Munich, but weeks of talks brought down the price. Wirtz, an attacking midfielder, scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in the past season in 45 club appearances. He has signed a five-year deal at Anfield.Wirtz, who has played 31 times…

My friend and former colleague David Hopkinson, who has died aged 89, was director of the Medical Research Council’s human biochemical genetics unit at University College London from 1976 until its closure in 2000.Hoppy, as he was universally known, had joined the unit at its inception in 1962 because in an earlier, more junior, position he had been one of the first medical scientists to describe molecular differences in human enzymes, long before DNA sequence differences were known about.The unit was established to research the extent and significance of genetic variation to human health. As its head, Hoppy expanded its…

The hard evidence can be found in the city’s state archives, just past the gate of Santa Croce. Open to the public (though in-person registration is required), these archives contain documents dating back to the eighth century. During a research visit, I reviewed a massive, leather-wrapped ledger, now over 500 years old, where I found the names of thousands of men, all accused of sodomy during the city’s Renaissance heyday. One of them was Leonardo da Vinci, who was accused in 1476 of engaging the services of a male sex worker at the age of 26. And he wasn’t the…

Since its founding in 1948, Israel’s prime ministers have sought to leave legacies that would outlast them — some through war, others through diplomacy, and a few through historic blunders. David Ben-Gurion secured the state’s independence and built its foundational institutions. Golda Meir presided over a war that cost her office. Menachem Begin signed peace with Egypt while expanding illegal settlements. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated for trying to make peace with the Palestinians. Each leader, in some way, left their mark. But none has ruled as long – or as divisively – as Benjamin Netanyahu. And now, more than ever,…

Josh SandifordBBC News, WolverhamptonBBCJane Platt is a volunteer helping others even though she is struggling herselfJane Platt’s bright pink polo shirt marks her out as a volunteer at the Big Venture Centre.The community shop provides discounted items and other help to people living in some of the most deprived areas of Wolverhampton.Places like Bushbury, Heath Town and Low Hill, where Ms Platt believes “everyone is struggling”, including herself. The local council insists it is there for those who need support, but some living in the areas say they feel forgotten. “My baby won’t play out in the streets,” explained Ms…

New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) have settled on new minimum-wage rules for rideshare drivers, Bloomberg reports. Drivers will receive a five percent raise under the new proposal, a compromise to keep Uber and Lyft from locking drivers out of their apps.The proposal needs to be voted on by the TLC’s board of commissioners before it goes into effect, but assuming it does, it’ll end months of uncertainty for drivers working in the city. Uber began sporadically locking drivers out of its app in May 2024, preventing them taking rides and earning money. The company was blocking access…

In K-pop, the fans come first, or so catchy South Korean music acts are constantly telling the legions of dedicated followers who have propelled them to international stardom. If it weren’t for the fans, boy band BTS couldn’t possibly have filled SoFi Stadium four times over, and Blackpink would never have been invited to headline Coachella — nor would there be any reason to greenlight a movie like “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” The title says it all in the high-energy, high-concept supernatural action comedy from Sony Pictures Animation, the versatile toon studio responsible for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Mitchells…

England’s Charley Hull carded the lowest second-round score at the Women’s PGA Championship as Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead at the top of the leaderboard.Hull carded a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies and a bogey, in the only round under 70 on a day when only 14 players broke par in hot and windy conditions at the Fields Ranch East course in Texas.The 29-year-old shot 78 in her opening round and is on three over for the tournament, with leader Thitikul on six under.World number two Thitikul has yet to win a major but put herself in a…

Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentBBCThe King with his script for the BBC broadcast to Antarctic researchersKing Charles has recorded a warm personal message to researchers in Antarctica celebrating a frozen Midwinter’s Day, with the monarch praising their work in understanding climate change.This marks the 70th anniversary of the BBC’s Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, which sends a morale-raising message to remote research stations in the depths of their winter.”Each observation, measurement and calculation you undertake adds to the world’s understanding of the Earth’s fragile systems,” the King said.Alex Rootes, who leads the UK’s Rothera research base, said it was an honour to have recognition…