Author: Olivia Carter

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…

Israel-Iran War: “People are sitting on the floor.” FRANCE 24 paid a visit to the Dizengoff shopping centre in Tel Aviv, where the parking lot has been converted into an underground bomb shelter

When Nigel Farage called for the nationalisation of British Steel on a visit to the Scunthorpe steelworks this spring, it was a marked change in direction for a man who had spent almost all of his political career campaigning for a smaller, Thatcherite state.Two years earlier, he had questioned why British taxpayers’ money should be thrown into keeping the fires of the very same blast furnaces burning. Back in 2018 he told an interviewer: “I supported Margaret Thatcher’s modernisation and reforms of the economy. It was painful for some people, but it had to happen.”After gaining a fifth MP and…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Artificial intelligence myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is pushing the idea of a vast $1tn artificial intelligence and robotics complex in the US state of Arizona that could include the establishment of a free-trade zone and the involvement of the world’s biggest chipmaker, TSMC.The plan, which Son has raised with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, is aimed at bringing high-tech manufacturing into the country at scale, said three people familiar with the concept, which was first reported by Bloomberg.SoftBank officials have also discussed it with…

Meta approached artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI about a potential takeover bid before ultimately investing $14.3 billion into Scale AI, CNBC confirmed on Friday.The two companies did not finalize a deal, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because of the confidential nature of the negotiations.One person familiar with the talks said it was “mutually dissolved,” while another person familiar with the matter said Perplexity walked away from a potential deal.Bloomberg earlier reported the talks between Meta and Perplexity. Perplexity declined to comment. Meta did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.Meta’s…

“We’re living in a moment marked by complexity—at times, even confusion,” said Alessandro Dell’Acqua during a showroom appointment. “Everywhere we turn, we’re bombarded by contradictory messages.” Rather than retreat or shut down in response, his instinct was to seek clarity through simplicity. “Of course, banality is out of the question,” he added. “But I feel a growing urge to express a sense of grounded normality, not by embracing eccentricity for its own sake, but by capturing something more honest, more real.”The collection pivoted around the quotidian, “almost veering toward the basic,” as he put it. Yet Alessandro Dell’Acqua is nothing…

Frank Sinatra did it his way, taking to the pool to boost his vocal prowess, and it seems Rod Stewart is singing from the same songsheet. Now scientists say the approach might not be somethin’ stupid.Stewart, 80, is still entertaining fans with his raspy vocals and energetic stage performances and earlier this month he revealed that as well as running and playing some football, swimming also played a key part in his campaign to stay forever young.He is due to play the legends slot at Glastonbury next Sunday and has more than 40 other shows lined up in Europe and…

AWAITING TAKEOFF ON the Boston Red Sox’s charter flight early Sunday evening, Rafael Devers sat with his teammates playing cards. The trip to Seattle would take a little more than six hours, and games were a reliable way to pass the time, a carefree bonding exercise for a team coming off a sweep of the rival New York Yankees. This was going to be a good flight.Before the Boeing 757 lifted off, Red Sox manager Alex Cora approached Devers with a solemn look on his face. He had news, and there was no easy way to say it: Devers had…

Humpback Whales Are Blowing ‘Bubble Rings’ at Boats. Are They Trying to Communicate?Researchers bring a SETI approach to the question of what—if anything—humpbacks’ underwater smoke rings might be trying to “say”By Melissa Hobson edited by Sarah Lewin FrasierA humpback whale known as Kараул (Watchtower) produced this bubble ring in Hawaii in 2020. Humpback whales are known for their extensive use of bubbles—from powerful, aggressive bursts that prove their prowess during courtship to the bubble-net “curtains” they produce to round up prey in a spectacle that often draws tourists from around the world.Now a new study published in Marine Mammal Science…

As a carry-on-only packer, I approach my toiletry bag with a discerning eye. While I love a full glam moment—after all, I’ve been a writer and editor at women’s lifestyle magazines for over a decade—I like to keep things simple on vacation. A smaller makeup bag also leaves more room for other travel essentials (like extra shoes and spare outfits, of course). So when Versed’s Multi-serum Skin Tint SPF 40 launched, I was instantly intrigued. I’ve trusted Versed for years. The brand consistently delivers effective skincare at an approachable price, and its skin tint combines foundation and mineral SPF 40…