Author: Olivia Carter

Frank GardnerBBC Security CorrespondentGetty ImagesPeople gather outside the UK parliament protesting against Israel’s attacks on IranIs this, some will be wondering, 2003 all over again? In 2003 Britain joined the US in a highly controversial military campaign against Iraq in a quest to rid it of its supposed arsenal of “weapons of mass destruction”. These turned out to have all been destroyed years previously.As America’s closest but junior ally, Britain is almost certain to be affected in some way by what happens now in the Middle East. If Donald Trump decides to commit US forces to help Israel eliminate Iran’s…

We investigate the role our forests are playing in offsetting carbon emissions.

This is just a second match on grass for Alcaraz after the physical and emotional toll of the Roland Garros final.He started strongly against Munar but grew unusually frustrated as the match went on, shouting at his team and disputing a time violation with the umpire midway through the second set.World number 59 Munar said before the match that his chances of an upset were “low” – but he came within touching distance of victory, thanks to some strong serving and deep, powerful forehands.After a composed first set, Alcaraz could not find the breakthrough in the second, with Munar saving…

Maddy JenningsBBC News, NorfolkGoogle MapsProfessional Music Technology first opened in Norwich in 2008A drum salesman said he is “heartbroken and devastated” by the closure of a city music shop. Professional Music Technology (PMT) went into administration in June. It first opened it’s Norfolk store in Anglia Square, Norwich, in 2008, before moving to Botolph Street in 2012.Administrators Interpath said rising costs, dwindling margins, and the cost of living had led to “challenges too difficult to overcome” in keeping it open.Dan Moss, who worked as the store’s percussion expert, said that the music store industry was “definitely and gradually dying.”Mr Moss…

For Qiu Sheng, Father’s Day was especially momentous this year. The recent holiday marked the world premiere of his deeply personal second feature, My Father’s Son, a seven-years-in-the-making sci-fi exploration of the director’s real-life dad, who passed away when he was a teenager. An unusual mix of speculative sci-fi imagination and intimate family sentiment, the film is vying for top honors in the Shanghai International Film Festival‘s main competition this week. Drawing heavily from Qiu’s biography, My Father’s Son centers on an 18-year-old protagonist, Qiao, who loses his voice while attempting to deliver the eulogy at his father’s funeral and…

Over the last several years, fusion power has gone from the butt of jokes — always a decade away! — to an increasingly tangible and tantalizing technology that has drawn investors off the sidelines. The technology may be challenging to master and expensive to build today, but fusion promises to harness the nuclear reaction that powers the sun to generate nearly limitless energy here on Earth. If startups are able to complete commercially viable fusion power plants, then they have the potential to upend trillion-dollar markets. The bullish wave buoying the fusion industry has been driven by three advances: more…

A summer of festivals lies ahead of us, and while hitting a muddy field with a tent, a pair of wellies and a sense of optimism is all about living in the moment, it’s a brave soul who doesn’t attempt at least a modicum of pre-planning.As anyone who’s ever attended a weekend festival will know, there’s a knack to deciding what to take (and what to leave behind), dressing to impress while travelling light, and keeping your spirits intact in all weathers.To make sure you’re covered this festival season, we asked three veterans who’ve been to almost 100 festivals between…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.For Elon Musk, tech’s great showman, this weekend’s long-awaited launch of a Tesla robotaxi service will be notably short of razzle-dazzle.The autonomous ride-hailing service is scheduled to hit the roads in Austin, Texas, with only about 10 cars. And far from the broadly capable self-driving vehicles that Musk has long promised, the taxis will be geo-fenced to avoid the city’s most challenging intersections and come with backup teleoperators poised to intervene if problems occur.At more than $1tn, Tesla’s stock market value leans…

Here’s How Plastic Bag Bans Are WorkingData from beach cleanups show that banning or taxing single-use plastic bags makes a difference in ecosystemsBy Meghan Bartels edited by Allison Parshall For one in three U.S. residents, single-use plastic bags are no longer a cheap and easy ubiquity—and beaches, riverbanks and lakeshores are benefitting.That’s according to research published on June 19 in Science. Researchers analyzed data from thousands of shoreline cleanups across the U.S. and found that areas that implemented policies that banned single-use plastic bags or charged a fee for them had a reduced proportion of these items in their beach…

There are certain museums around the world that go beyond their role of housing artefacts and somehow seem to act as portals to the past. The Frick Collection in New York and Marcel Proust’s cork-lined bedroom at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris both hum with a timeless energy that transcends the exhibits on display. The Little Museum of Dublin is also such a space.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Within seconds of ascending the stairs of this beautiful four-storey Georgian townhouse at 15 St Stephen’s Green, a different…