Author: The Guardian

A garden demonstrating the joys of forest bathing has won best in show at the Chelsea flower show.Designed by the first-time exhibitor Ula Maria, the garden was inspired by the ancient Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which means being calm and quiet among trees, breathing deeply and observing nature.She was inspired by a birch grove, and filled her space with dappled light and the sound of water, bringing in more than 40 trees and running a water rill through the middle. Banks of woodland flowers and grasses included foxgloves, cranesbill geraniums, snowy woodrush and wild strawberries.The best in show garden was…

Homes were evacuated and many people slept in their cars or on the street after the strongest earthquake in 40 years shook the area around the sprawling Campi Flegrei supervolcano close to Naples.The 4.4-magnitude tremor in Pozzuoli, a densely populated port city, was followed by 150 quakes that were also strongly felt in Naples.Local media reports said cracks had formed in buildings and chunks of masonry had collapsed. Schools were closed on Tuesday in Pozzuoli and a cluster of towns and districts of Naples.“We left our home at midnight and went to our son’s in Vomero [Naples],” Mimmo Pignatelli, who…

One passenger has died and more than 20 were injured when a flight from London to Singapore was hit by turbulence.Passengers aboard the Singapore Airlines plane told of a “dramatic drop” that launched those not wearing a seatbelt straight into the cabin ceiling.The airline said the Boeing 777 plane with more than 200 passengers onboard encountered severe turbulence on its way from Heathrow to Singapore. It was diverted to Bangkok, where it landed at 15.45 local time (09.45 GMT) on Tuesday.Unconfirmed reports from airline tracking websites suggest the flight may have dropped about 1,800 metres (6,000ft) when it flew into…

In the six days since a law to prosecute dangerous cyclists was announced, somewhere close to 30 people will have been killed on UK roads, none of them struck by bikes. About 500 more will have suffered serious, potentially life-changing injuries, with pretty much all connected to motor vehicles.Again, going on the statistical averages, over those same six days, slightly more than 1,600 people across the UK will have died due to illnesses associated with physical inactivity. Riding a bike cuts your likelihood of developing such conditions by about half.None of this is to argue that having new offences of…

Julian Assange has won his ongoing battle against extradition to the UK after a High Court judge in London allowed Assange’s appeal.Two judges in March delayed a decision on whether Assange, who is trying to avoid prosecution in the United States on espionage charges related to the release of thousands of classified and diplomatic documents, can take the case to another appeal hearing.Only if the Biden administration is unable to provide the court with adequate assurances “applicants [Assange] Reliance on the First Amendment is allowed and the applicant will not be prejudiced at trial, including by virtue of his nationality,…

One day in 2008, my husband, Hiraki, was making a film for which he decided he needed some vintage birdcages. We headed to the antiques market as the sky was lightening. Get there too late and we might not find anything to buy.After going around the market a few times and paying for several cages, we were standing under a tree, deciding whether to call it a day, when, suddenly there was a baby bird on the ground at our feet.What happened next is a little fuzzy. I remember picking the bird up; so does Hiraki. I remember trying to…

Chelsea 4-4 Manchester CityIt was a season of goals, goals and more goals – 1,246 goals in total and a Premier League record average of 3.28 goals per game. Incredibly, there were 84 games with five or more goals. So, where to start? It was as good a place as any: the November rains poured down, setting the stage for the relentless scoring winter that was to come. The sides took the lead in an exciting game that featured roaring headers from centre-backs Thiago Silva and Manuel Akanji, a defensive scramble and Rodri’s seemingly dramatic deflected winner , but Cole…

First of all, sending lots of love during what can’t be an easy time. Your surgical team will tell you what to do straight after the operation.“It’s important to follow their instructions,” says breast surgeon Chloe Constantinou. “After surgery, the dressings will be taken off if everything has healed, and you’ll be given advice on caring for the skin.” If you’re worried, speak to your team, but generally speaking it’s best to use a gentle cleanser that’s fragrance-free.There will be some scarring after surgery, which affects dark skin more. “Silicone gels and gel sheets can help heal scars and reduce their…

It was Minnesota’s masterpiece as the Timberwolves fought back from a 20-point second-half deficit to knock off the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 on Sunday night.The Timberwolves overcame a 15-point halftime deficit in the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA playoff history behind Anthony Edwards, who had just four points, no rebounds and three kills in the half. assists, but finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.His impact belied his 6-for-24 shooting performance, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range. Edwards took the ball up the court as time expired and took the time to wave…

Russia struck a lakeside resort on the edge of Kharkiv on Sunday and attacked villages in the surrounding region, killing at least 11 people and wounding scores. Prosecutors said six people were killed in the resort, with one missing and 27 wounded. Rescuers said the initial strike was followed by a second strike about 20 minutes later, targeting emergency crews at the scene in a “double tap”. “There were never any soldiers here,” said Yaroslav Trofimko, a police inspector who arrived after the first strike and was then caught up in the second. Another five people were killed and nine…