UK News
View All 9Christian landmark in tiny English village faces demolition under new plans
A parish church is set to see its landmark removed under new plans.Fenland District Council has granted permission for St Mark's Church to have its leaning spire - which has earned it the nickname the "Pisa of the Fens" - torn down.St Mark's in Friday Bridge, near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, will have the upper portion of its tilting spire taken down due to significant structural concerns.A planning application says: "It is often referred to locally as our Pisa in the Fens, given the noticeable inclination of the tower with its spire."Rev Richard Hines submitted the application on behalf of the Grade II-listed building.Work now has to starty within three years under the conditions of the approval.The spire's tilt developed gradually as the earth beneath the 160-year-old church shifted over time.And thanks to its thin brickwork, the structure has caused water drainage problems and leaks throughout the building.Historic England placed the Victorian church on its Heritage at Risk register last year following concerns about these issues.Though planning documents indicate the spire does not pose an immediate collapse risk.There are hopes to rebuild the local landmark once funding becomes available - though a cost estimate is still yet to be made for a replacement.The application acknowledged the work "will inevitably reduce the prominence of the church in the landscape - albeit possibly temporarily".BRITAIN'S CHURCHES AT RISK - READ MORE:Historic 600-year-old church tower to be restored to former glory after funding worth hundreds of thousands of pounds securedCornish church with open-door policy forced to lock up after 'appalling' vandalismCommunity church saved from ruin after £10k donation means crucial repairs can be madeA council conservation officer admitted: "There is no getting around the fact that the proposed work will ultimately result in the detraction of the significance of the building as the principal and dominant structure within its generally open and rural setting."Whilst I have considerable concerns and sadness about the impacts and the loss of this important landmark feature, the spire is ultimately structurally unsound."On social media, locals questioned whether the church should be made to repair it given its listed status.But one laid bare just how expensive that process would really be."The population in that parish is 1,500 people in 651 households," they said."They share a vicar, who works just over half time, with four other parishes. There are six members on their electoral roll, and they meet monthly."Assuming the spire would cost £350,000 plus VAT to fix entirely, that works out at a mere £70,000 per church member..."The Victorian Society has endorsed removing the spire, but says it should be rebuilt one day.Connor McNeill, a senior conservation adviser with the society, said: "It is essential if reducing the spire is approved that proposals for reconstruction are brought forward in a timely manner."A full record of the tower should also be made to enable proper reconstruction in the future."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Council staff banned from calling people 'old'... because it might offend old people
A Hampshire council has ordered staff to stop using the word "old" because it might offend old people.New Forest District Council has issued guidance specifically targeting "ageist" language.Staff have been told to avoid terms including "the elderly," "old," "young," and "millennials" - or anyone born between 1981 and 1996.The language guide, revealed by The Sun, says: "It's usually unnecessary to refer to people using age-related descriptors."Think about it first."The council suggests "older people" and "younger people" might be acceptable alternatives.The guide, distributed to NFDC's website staff, warns that non-inclusive language could "alienate the people you're creating content for."Officials have also demanded workers steer clear of medical "labels" and "gendered language" when talking about people. "Avoid medical labels," the guidance warns. "They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as 'patients' or unwell."Other phrases now considered unsuitable include "mentally ill," "sick person," "fireman/woman," and "ladies.""Use neutral, non-gendered terms for professions. Avoid patronising language," it adds.Council forms should not tell locals to specify their gender as a mandatory field, the new rules say - allegedly to prevent distress among non-binary New Forest residents.WOKE MADNESS - READ MORE:Britons banned from calling Americans 'Yanks' in 'racial harassment' court rulingBritain urged to surrender six territories alongside slavery cash in new 'decolonisation' demandDrag act invited to entertain sex offenders at LGBT diversity day in prisonFree Speech Union director Lord Young said: "As usual, a local authority thinks it's protecting the vulnerable by banning hurty words."If the New Forest district councillors really want to help local pensioners they should lay on more buses."But, of course, that's expensive, while banning the word 'old' costs nothing."The FSU has previously criticised similar language policies implemented by councils and public bodies across Britain.A guide from the Planning Inspectorate last year warned how the term "Ladies and Gentlemen" is offensive and should be avoided."Given that trans and non-binary people make up less than 0.4 per cent of the population, it seems a tad over-sensitive to ban saying something that might offend a few of them," Lord Young said at the time."I dare say there are some people out there who identify as Napoleon. Is the Planning Inspectorate going to worry about offending them too?"A London council had earlier sparked uproar after ordering staff not to use the term "Christian name".Sutton Council's language guide warned how the phrase might be offensive.Again, Lord Young weighed in - blasting how he had "never met a Jew, a Muslim or an atheist offended by the words 'Christian name'".Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Kiwi Ryan Fox produces last-hole masterclass to win 154th Open at Birkdale
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Free things to do in Northern Ireland during the summer
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World News
View All 10An Iranian Vision of the New Middle East
Walking next to a mock Iranian missile in Tehran, July 2026 Majid Asgaripour / West Asia News Agency / Reuters M. JAVAD ZARIF is Associate Professor of Global Studies at the University of Tehran and Founder and President of Possibilities Architects. He previously served as Iran’s Vice President, Foreign Minister, and Permanent Representative in the United Nations. More & Download Print unlock this feature or Sign in. Save Sign in and save to read later Copy This is a subscriber-only feature. or Sign in. Chicago MLA APSA APA Chicago Cite not available at the moment MLA Cite not available at the moment APSA Cite not available at the moment APA Cite not available at the moment Request reprint permissions here. The war, in other words, has compelled Iran to now view the strait as an existential matter of its own security. Before large-scale hostilities began at the end of February, Iran generally tolerated navigation through the waterway without interference, even though U. S. sanctions—aided by Washington’s partners—meant that Iran could not access many of the goods passing through the strait. American sanctions effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian commerce while leaving it open for almost everyone else. S. and Israeli attacks have ended that tolerance, both among Iran’s military commanders and, more important, among the vast majority of its population. Today, the overriding Iranian objective in the strait is to ensure that adversaries cannot exploit the waterway to prepare, facilitate, or sustain coercion against Iran, whether that coercion be military, political, or economic in nature. The previously accepted distinction between commercial traffic and military transit has been blurred. In peacetime, international maritime law shapes expectations. But in wartime, even the international laws of war prioritize national survival. If it wants peace, the United States must look at the role of Israel. Iran now operates under the conviction that maritime routes cannot be politically neutral if they facilitate the transport of weapons systems, aircraft components, intelligence assets, or logistical support for the United States and its regional partners. Because weapons and technologies that later struck Iranian territory, infrastructure, and civilians traveled through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian policymakers are well within their rights to restrict the flow of traffic as long as the war persists, as long as economic coercion against Iran continues, and as long as efforts to undermine Iran’s right to safeguard its interests in the strait are being actively pursued.
Pakistan Won the War in Iran
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Nidwalden, Switzerland, June 2026 Fabrice Coffrini / Pool / Reuters ASFANDYAR MIR is a Senior Fellow for South Asia at the Stimson Center and a Senior Adviser at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. More & Download Print unlock this feature or Sign in. Save Sign in and save to read later Copy This is a subscriber-only feature. or Sign in. Chicago MLA APSA APA Chicago Cite not available at the moment MLA Cite not available at the moment APSA Cite not available at the moment APA Cite not available at the moment Request reprint permissions here. The war in Iran was the latest example of the failure of major powers to stop conflicts. European powers, despite suffering dire economic effects from Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, contributed little to the war’s termination beyond perfunctory statements of concern. China, having brokered the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023 and having long touted its military and economic inroads into the Middle East, nevertheless stayed on the sidelines. Even India, with its self-proclaimed multialigned foreign policy, declined a role. Into this void stepped Pakistan. A few increasingly valuable attributes made Islamabad an effective mediator between Tehran and Washington, with whom it is neither a treaty ally nor an adversary. For one, it was able to hold meaningful relationships across divides that traditional powers cannot. Pakistan maintains a strategic relationship with China while also consistently seeking one with the United States, even when Washington has refused out of deference to India. It is tightly aligned with Saudi Arabia but also tied to Iran . That cross-cutting position made Pakistan useful to Washington and Tehran when each needed a party the other could accept as an intermediary. The war in Iran was the latest example of the failure of major powers to stop conflicts. Islamabad also had leverage in the form of credible coercive power. A mutual defense pact between Islamabad and Riyadh meant that when Iran began firing missiles at targets across the Gulf, Pakistan could have intervened in defense of Saudi Arabia if the conflict had escalated. Pakistani participation, in turn, could have catalyzed other Muslim-majority states, most of which were either hedging or showing restraint in their responses to Iranian attacks, to fully enter the war. That prospect, much more than the American and Israeli strikes, would have threatened the existence of the Iranian regime and Iran’s regional position, since Tehran would have been isolated in the Muslim world.
España celebra la gloria y Scaloni se despide entre lágrimas
July 20, 202607:55 SIGUIENTE El equipo Telemundo se despide del Mundial con la Copa en alto Unai Simón: “No hay nada más grande que ganar un Mundial” Radar Mundial: España conquista su segunda estrella en una final inolvidable El llanto de Scaloni que reflejó el dolor de toda Argentina Guti: “España ha sido muy superior a Argentina”; el análisis experto de la final Todos los autogoles del Mundial 2026 | La otra cara de la Copa del Mundo Mikel Oyarzabal tras ganar la Final con España: "Nos va a costar un tiempo creérnoslo" Todos los penales fallados de la Copa del Mundo 2026 ¡España reina en el mundo y conquista su segunda estrella mundialista! Ferran Torres y Luis de la Fuente le dedican el título a toda España al terminar el partido Luis de la Fuente: "Es el mejor de los guiones para una película; es un honor dirigirles" Todas las tarjetas rojas directas del Mundial 2026 | Expulsiones, polémicas y momentos decisivos Todos los goles de tiro libre del Mundial 2026 | Obras de arte a balón parado Así fue la coronación de España tras ganarle la Final a Argentina en Nueva York España recibe su segunda estrella después de 16 años y entrenadores comparten abrazo España levanta la Copa del Mundo en una noche inolvidable | Conexión Mundial Los jugadores del Barcelona se unen para una foto histórica tras conquistar el Mundial 2026 Nueva York vibra con una final mundialista para la historia El llanto de Lionel Messi tras perder la final ante España Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 Luis de la Fuente, Pedro Porro y Unai Simón celebraron el histórico título de España, mientras Lionel Scaloni, visiblemente emocionado, reconoció la superioridad de La Roja y agradeció haber llevado a Argentina a otra final del mundo. Jul.
ISIS poised to exploit historic US Iraq exit, terror group 'actively waiting in the gaps,' expert warns
close Video Trump makes MAJOR announcement on US troops in Iraq President Donald Trump announced U. S. troops will leave Iraq , ending a 23-year presence. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Islamic State is quietly rebuilding as the United States prepares to complete its withdrawal from Iraq, raising fears the terror group could exploit a security vacuum, a regional security expert warned Sunday. S. forces leaving by Sept. 30 and as Baghdad tries to rein in Iran-backed militias, Iraq could also be entering its most dangerous period since ISIS seized Mosul in 2014, according to counterterrorism expert Dr. Omar Mohammed. "ISIS is waiting actively in the gaps, as it historically always has," Mohammed, author and researcher with the George Washington University Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital. US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM The Islamic State is quietly rebuilding as the United States prepares to complete its withdrawal from Iraq, regional analysts say. (History/Universal Images Group via ) "The question is not whether American forces leave Iraq in September; that timetable is set. The question is what leaves with them." "The militias claim the ISIS threat in order to keep their weapons, while ISIS recruits from the grievances that the militias create," Mohammed explained. "That is exactly the dynamic that hollowed out Mosul before 2014, when the city was caught between a sectarian security apparatus and the insurgency it fed." After preparing for years, ISIS captured Mosul, about 250 miles north of Baghdad, over a decade ago. Iraqi security forces collapsed and fled the city. The group built underground networks through assassinations, extortion, intimidation and infiltration before launching its offensive. S.-made weapons and hundreds of millions of dollars before leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the group's self-proclaimed caliphate. At the time, Mohammed launched "Mosul Eye," a blog that secretly documented life under ISIS rule, exposing its operations and offering intelligence to U. TRUMP ADMIN WARNS IRAQ OVER IRAN TERROR PROXIES AS US REPORTEDLY BLOCKS CASH PAYMENTS U. Central Command (CENTCOM) has said it will continue working to dismantle ISIS networks and prevent the terror group's resurgence. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via ) Mohammed’s story is chronicled in Mosul Eye: A Scholar's Clandestine War Against ISIS, out July 21 from Skyhorse Publishing, with a foreword . Iraqi forces, backed by the U. S.-led coalition, went on to recapture Mosul in July 2017. S. combat mission ended in 2021, ISIS continued operating in parts of Iraq and Syria.
Politics
View All 10What to expect from Burnham’s ‘crucial’ first 100 days as UK prime minister
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Second Democrat drops out of Maine primary
Maine’s former CDC Director Nirav Shah dropped out of the Democratic primary for Senate on Sunday, a day after pleading his case to delegates in Augusta. “A few weeks ago, I entered this race because I could not accept the idea of Susan Collins gliding to a sixth term at the very moment Maine families…
US military launches strikes in Iran after servicemember killed in Iraq
US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday said it relaunched strikes against Iran following the death of one service member in Iraq. “CENTCOM began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran at 7 p.m. ET today for the ninth consecutive night,” CENTCOM said in a Saturday statement posted to X. “The strikes will continue degrading…
Andy Burnham plans beefed-up control centre in Downing Street
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Business
View All 10FirstFT: Burnham weighs Number 10 overhaul
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UK pension insurers raise exposure to opaque private credit
S&P warns on hard-to-price private assets that make up more than 10% of portfolios at L&G, Standard Life and Just Group
Burnham must remember the first rule of government
The biggest mistake of all would be to imagine the country enjoys a free fiscal lunch. In fact, it only has hard choices
Chinese helium ban threatens supplies to Europe
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Technology
View All 10Moonshine: Lets you stream games from your PC to any device running Moonlight
If your user is always logged in when you want to stream, you can skip this step. Enable the service to start on boot and run immediately: sudo systemctl enable --now moonshine@$USER The following dependencies are required to build: sudo pacman -S \ clang \ cmake \ gcc-libs \ glibc \ libc++ \ libevdev \ libpulse \ libxkbcommon \ make \ mesa \ opus \ pkg-config \ rust \ shaderc \ vulkan-headers \ wayland Then compile and run: cargo run --release -- /path/to/config. toml A configuration file is created automatically if the path you provide doesn't exist. When using the AUR package, it defaults to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/moonshine/config. toml. When you connect with Moonlight for the first time, it will show a PIN. You can also pair from the command line: curl -X POST "http://localhost:47989/submit-pin" -d "uniqueid=0123456789ABCDEF&pin=<PIN>" Each application runs in its own isolated streaming session. Add them to config. toml like this: [[application]] title = "Steam" boxart = "/path/to/steam. png" # optional command = ["/usr/bin/steam", "steam://open/bigpicture"] title: The name shown in Moonlight. boxart (optional): Path to a cover image. command: The command to run. First entry is the executable, the rest are arguments. pre_command (optional): Commands to run before launching the application. Each entry is a separate command, executed in order. Runs synchronously — the session waits for all to finish. post_command (optional): Commands to run after the streaming session ends. Each entry is a separate command, executed in order. Runs synchronously — the server waits for all to finish. Example: [[application]] title = "Steam" command = ["/usr/bin/steam", "steam://open/bigpicture"] pre_command = [ ["/usr/bin/systemctl", "stop", "conflicting. service"], ["/usr/bin/nvidia-smi", "pstate", "50"], ] post_command = [ ["/usr/bin/nvidia-smi", "pstate", "performance"], ] Scanners automatically detect installed applications so you don't have to add them manually. Steam scanner — finds all installed Steam games: [[application_scanner]] type = "steam" library = "$HOME/. local/share/Steam" command = ["/usr/bin/steam", "-bigpicture", "steam://rungameid/{game_id}"] Desktop scanner — finds applications from . desktop files: [[application_scanner]] type = "desktop" directories = [ "$HOME/. local/share/applications", "/usr/share/applications", ] include_terminal = false resolve_icons = true How does this compare to Sunshine? Sunshine supports more platforms and has more features overall. Moonshine runs each streaming session in its own isolated environment, separate from your desktop. This means your host PC stays usable while you stream, and it works without an active desktop session. Moonshine is not designed for use on public networks. The underlying GameStream protocol has limitations that mean traffic is not fully encrypted at the application level.
New Samsung Layoffs in the U.S. Show Smartphone Arm’s Struggles, Even as It Profits Massively From AI
Artificial Intelligence New Samsung Layoffs in the U. Show Smartphone Arm’s Struggles, Even as It Profits Massively From AI Roughly 839 Samsung employees are losing their jobs in the U. S. 19, 2026, pm ET Reading time 2 minutes © Spencer Platt/ Read Later Read Later Comments (3) A round of layoffs just hit Samsung’s operation in the U. In addition to the obvious human dimension as people lose their livelihoods, it’s spotlights a tough reality for Samsung: its consumer tech arm is struggling even as its chip and memory business goes stratospheric. A report from Reuters places the number of layoffs at about 839. Samsung confirmed to Reuters that 739 people were being fired in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and about 100 others were let go in Plano, Texas according to anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters. Apparently Samsung clarified to Reuters that the majority of those losing their jobs had been given “relocation offers.” These are jobs at Samsung’s “display, phone and other consumer electronics operations,” according to Reuters. Roles mentioned on the Reuters article are sales and marketing—not the sort of blue collar jobs that typically unionize in the U. A 2019 report from Hankyoreh found a great deal of intense anti-union activity from Samsung executives around the world, seemingly as a matter of global corporate policy. “Even the smallest examples of collective action were met with reprisals,” the report said. Earlier this month, Samsung reported a 19-fold quarterly jump in profits as demand for memory and chips for the data center build out has flooded Samsung with revenue. It’s a very different picture in South Korea, where the chip and memory business is centered, and where workers seem to have leverage lately. Organized Samsung workers authorized a strike, and in May, under maximum pressure to keep its memory business operating smoothly, Samsung agreed to massive deals for workers, including bonuses to the tune of $400,000. The AI boom, and accompanying spike in the cost of components, has been a mixed blessing for Samsung on the whole. This spring, reports indicated that executives were sweating profit projections showing the company’s first failure to turn a profit on smartphones ever. Explore more on these topics Artificial intelligence layoffs Samsung Smartphones Copied! our newsletters Subscribe and interact with our community, get up to date with our customised Newsletters and much more. The Best Budget Laptops Under $1,000 for Back to School Believe it or not, there are still good laptops you can find that won't break the bank.
Can an Apple lawsuit derail OpenAI’s hardware plans?
They don’t do this stuff willy nilly.” With all those plans on the line, will OpenAI try to settle this as quickly as possible, or did it learn from its recent courtroom victory against Elon Musk that it can endure the cost and embarrassment of a trial? Kirsten, at least, predicts the latter. Keep reading for a preview of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. Kirsten Korosec: Sean, how do you feel about Sam Altman listening to you with a little device maybe in your pocket? Sean O’Kane: I’m good. Maybe that’s predictable, but I’m good. We’ll get into it, I’m sure, but this is allegedly the first product that OpenAI has been working on in its hardware division with Jony Ive and company. They’ve been really coy ever since that weird video they put out last year of them sitting at that coffee shop or bar in San Francisco and sort of talking very vaguely about hardware and legacy devices, meaning laptops and phones. And so if this is the direction they’re headed in, all power to people who want to have somebody like that always listening to them. This is not going to be for me. Anthony Ha: Part of what we have to remember about those kinds of devices is also that, depending on how mobile it is, it’s not just listening to you, it’s listening to the people around you. I might be fine with it — I’m not fine with it, but let’s say I was — but then if we met up in-person at Disrupt, then suddenly it might be listening to all of us. There’s all kinds of social norms that are going to have to be renegotiated if these things become widespread. I think we should make fun of and criticize people who record other people without consent. Kirsten: Well, I bring up the device that has been speculated about for a really long time, and we’ll it really ends up being once it’s officially introduced, but it’s important in the context of this lawsuit that Apple filed last Friday. It was the biggest news of the week, certainly, and this is a trade secret lawsuit. It has some pretty wild allegations and we should very much emphasize these are allegations that have been filed in a complaint by Apple.
NASA shares beautiful timelapse of the Psyche spacecraft's view over Mars
Tomorrow Space NASA shares beautiful timelapse of the Psyche spacecraft's view over Mars The spacecraft made a close approach to the red planet in May on its way to explore the asteroid it’s named after. By Cheyenne MacDonald July 19, 2026 pm EST NASA's Psyche spacecraft is well on its way to its target in the asteroid belt after receiving a gravity assist from Mars in May, and the space agency just shared some incredible images from that brief encounter. Psyche captured thousands of images with its multispectral imager as it approached and flew past Mars. A timelapse shared a captivating video of the entire encounter, showing the crescent Mars it captured upon arrival, detailed views of the surface and the icy south pole behind it as it departed. "The imager performed brilliantly, delivering some rarely seen views of the red planet," said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University, in a statement. The spacecraft began its approach of Mars on May 2 and made its closest approach on May 15. This maneuver gave it a speed boost and adjusted its trajectory to put it on a course for the asteroid Psyche while saving propellant for the long journey. Psyche is expected to reach the eponymous asteroid in 2029. "Besides the obvious beauty of the photos, we were also able to fully test its calibration and sensitivity to scattered light," Bell said, "including picking out the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos from very far away as a part of a practice for the satellite search that we'll use at the asteroid Psyche to look for any moonlets there." Recommended
Science
View All 10Controversial farm subsidy scheme gets billion pound budget
The announcement was made on the opening day of the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd Funding for Wales' controversial new farm subsidy scheme will exceed a billion pounds during this Senedd term, the Welsh government has announced. Setting a budget spanning several years to help farmers plan ahead was one of Plaid Cymru's promises for its first 100 days in power. But the offer of £340m a year is roughly the same as farms have received since 2012. Farming and environment groups had been calling for closer to £500m a year. Farming minister Llyr Gruffydd said the money was a "baseline" that would be ring-fenced for farming, delivering "certainty and stability" for the sector. Caryl Davies says her family have decided to join the SFS, and believes there are ways that farming and nature can work together The protest-hit Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) was introduced earlier this year, after almost a decade in development. Payments with a greener focus replace the subsidies farms had received before Brexit based on how much land they had. Those who have to agree to a checklist of requirements - including managing at least 10% of their land as habitat. The budget announcement is being made on the opening day of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show in Llanelwedd. Caryl Davies, a beef and sheep farmer from Eglwyswrw, Pembrokeshire, said her family had decided to join the new scheme. "There are ways that farming and nature can work together, it'll improve the soil and the crops we're growing," she said. The fact that the budget was being ring-fenced over several years would "give people a bit more confidence they've made the right decision," she said. "A three-year plan gives you some certainty about what you're going to get," agreed retired livestock auctioneer Alwyn Jones, showing his pedigree Welsh Black cattle. But the money would not go far, he said, as costs have gone up and "everything has gone dearer". While a three-year budget is welcome, "five years would be better and a bit more money obviously," added Stephen Roberts from Denbigh. Alwyn Jones says a three-year plan would give farmers some certainty but warned the money might not go far Figures show that about half of farmers applying for subsidies this year decided to opt into the new SFS. The other half decided to stick with the old regime for now, meaning they will see a 40% cut in funding this year as those subsides are phased out.
Going with the flow: Renewable energy battery breakthrough
Dr Hugh O'Connor developed the 3D-printed cell when he discovered a commercial flow battery for his research would cost up to £3,000 A 3D-printed battery developed at Queen's University Belfast could "make a genuine impact" on the road to net zero, say the researchers behind it. Flow batteries are seen as key to scaling up renewable energy, allowing it to be stored for when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. But they are expensive and typically use a metallic element - vanadium - that is only produced in a few places round the world. Now, scientists at QUB have developed one based on iron, which is much easier to source, and have sent it around the world to help standardise research. It is hoped it will accelerate the renewable energy revolution, making research more reliable and its findings more scalable. Post-doctoral researcher Dr Hugh O'Connor began tinkering with the design of flow batteries when he needed one for his PhD - and realised it would cost £2,000-£3,000. "I started 3D-printing them and I made lots of little tweaks. After a lot of trial and error, eventually these started to work really well." The cell he printed allowed him to carry out the tests he needed for his PhD. And O'Connor admitted he briefly "cynically" considered selling his product to colleagues. But after discussing it with his supervisor, they decided to provide the design to the entire international research community for free. "We kind of saw it as an opportunity to grow our network rather than make a small amount of money, and we feel like it can really benefit this technology." His design costs roughly £74 and involves about ten components, from the printed pieces that the liquid flows through, to a membrane, gaskets, electrodes and current collectors. And it involves careful assembly, simplified . "It was really important that we sent out like an Ikea-style instruction manual to our participants. "And I think they followed it quite well." A flow battery is a device that stores energy in liquids, rather than solid electrodes as lithium-ion batteries do. The liquids usually contain the metallic element vanadium. There is more vanadium in the Earth's crust than lithium, but it is less accessible and more volatile in economic terms. So while flow batteries are regarded as a potential game-changer in the renewable energy race to net zero, they have not been developed widely due to cost and geopolitical constraints.
My fitness tracker knew I was pregnant before I did
Ravika was celebrating her birthday on holiday with her husband when she got an unusual alert from her fitness tracker. Her Oura ring flagged that her health score was poor. Her heart rate had gone up, her body temperature was elevated and her heart rate variability (HRV) had dropped. Yet Ravika felt completely fine. When the stats hadn't improved a week later, the 34-year-old solicitor from the West Midlands did some research online and found a community of women who all said their fitness trackers had been giving them signs they were pregnant, based on the data the trackers had collected. It was another week before Ravika had a positive pregnancy test. Ravika says her Oura ring flagged that her health score was poor - yet she felt completely fine But following some cramping and a notification on her phone telling her that her body appeared to be under significant strain, she went to the doctor and was told she'd need to return 10 days later for further testing to find out if the pregnancy was healthy. The wait was agonising - and led to her anxiously checking her fitness tracker stats, waking up at 4am every night "just to refresh my app to see if my stats were still low, if my temperature was still elevated. I was holding on to hope that it was a viable pregnancy". The stats, she said, became an "obsession" - but "for me it really did feel like a life or death situation". For Ravika, checking her fitness tracker stats became an "obsession" For many women, the first sign that they might be pregnant is a period that doesn't arrive when expected. This is around the same time it's possible to take a pregnancy test. With the exception of some tests that claim to be able to detect a pregnancy early, most aren't able to spot the change in hormones until the first day of a missed period. But Ravika is one of hundreds of women who are reporting online that they are seeing the signs earlier than this, through the data on their fitness trackers. Fitness trackers - including smart rings, smart watches and chest-mounted trackers - have surged in popularity in the UK. According to YouGov research, 36% of British adults in January 2026 owned and used a fitness tracker - nearly twice the proportion in July 2019. Finnish-US company Oura has the highest sales in the smart ring market, which also includes India-based Ultrahuman, and Hong Kong-based RingConn.
Hunter-gatherers introduced fish to a mountain lake 7000 years ago
The exposed bed of Lake Tesse in Norway, where archaeologists found ancient fish traps Magne Samdal, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo Hunter-gatherers transported brown trout into the mountains of Norway at least 7000 years ago so they could be harvested during summer foraging trips into the highlands. That is the only possible explanation for how fish could have populated isolated mountain lakes that had been covered by a kilometres-thick ice sheet for tens of thousands of years, says Axel Mjærum at the University of Oslo, Norway. “This is the oldest documented example of human-mediated translocation of fish in the world,” says Mjærum. Until around 8400 years ago, Lake Tesse, at an elevation of around 850 metres, was covered , leaving an ecological blank canvas once it retreated. Yet before it was transformed for hydropower storage in the 1940s, Lake Tesse was regarded as one of the richest brown trout waterways in Norway, yielding 9 tonnes of the fish annually. While it has long been suspected that humans had a hand in establishing the brown trout population in Lake Tesse, we had no idea how long ago this happened. Alternative ideas have included transportation . But most Norwegian mountain lakes, including Lake Tesse, only had brown trout, and geographical features such as large waterfalls make natural dispersal upstream impossible. Mjærum and his colleagues studied the partially buried remains of elaborate fish traps, discovered in 2022 when the lake level was lowered. Radiocarbon dating showed that the oldest trap dated from around 4950 BC. , the team was also able to precisely date some of the younger posts. One was felled between spring 2669 BC and winter 2669-2668 BC, and another 12 years later during the winter of 2657-2656 BC, demonstrating that the traps must have been maintained to keep them in good working order. “Therefore, it is possible that this form of trap fishing was ongoing in Tesse during much of the period between 5000 and 2650 BC,” says Mjærum. The transport of fish into the lakes is an early example of people managing the environment to provide food, centuries before the advent of farming in Scandinavia. There is evidence that fish farming began even earlier in other parts of the world, including channels and traps for catching eels built in Australia 8600 years ago. How people transported the fish is unknown, but they may have used waterskins. People probably stayed in the mountains for part of the summer season, hunting reindeer and fishing, but spent the winters in the valleys or along the coast where the climate was milder, says Mjærum. “A good and predictable food supply also made longer stays possible, not only for hunters aiming for big game, but for whole family groups,” he says.
Environment
View All 10Trump again shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
This story was originally published and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Monday morning, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments stretched across over 3 million acres of public lands in southern Utah, protecting some of the country’s most remote landscapes and scores of archaeological sites sacred to local tribes. , President Donald Trump had cut the monuments to just 302,600 acres. While the two executive orders gutting the monuments and their protections repeat an action from the first Trump administration that was reversed , Monday’s reductions go far further than before. In December 2017, Trump signed proclamations to reduce Bears Ears National Monument from 1.3 million acres to roughly 228,000 acres, an 85 percent reduction, while Grand Staircase-Escalante was cut nearly in half, from 1.9 million acres to about 1 million. Monday’s executive orders cut the monuments to less than a quarter of what was left after the previous shrinking of the monuments. Flanked , Trump said in signing the executive orders that new restrictions made it virtually impossible to hunt, fish, or even walk on the monuments, which is not true. Both are accessible to visitors, including for hunting and fishing. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How Trump’s executive orders will take effect in 60 days. Shrinking the boundaries of the monuments, the orders state, will better align with the administration’s goals for public lands: opening them up to extraction. The orders say the decision puts power back in the hands of local communities, despite its disbanding and terminating of an inter-tribal working group for Bears Ears that led co-stewardship efforts at the monument—the first of its kind, and the result of years of advocacy from local tribes. Tribal officials said they were not consulted about the decision to reduce the monuments. “[Trump is] saying the quiet part out loud. He’s being honest: I’m doing this so that we can mine and drill and graze cows,” said John Ruple, a law professor and program director at the University of Utah’s Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment. “We’ll see if the American people think those are the best uses of national monuments, and we’ll see if courts agree with that, too.” Davina Smith-Idjesa, a member of the Navajo Nation and part of both monuments’ inter-tribal coalitions, said reading the proclamations was a reminder “of genocide and that tribes are expendable” in the U.
Majority of US voters link extreme weather to climate crisis, study finds
A man tries to cool off along the National Mall in Washington earlier this month. Photograph: Amid Farahi/AFP/ View image in fullscreen A man tries to cool off along the National Mall in Washington earlier this month. Photograph: Amid Farahi/AFP/ Majority of US voters link extreme weather to climate crisis, study finds Top Democrat says findings show public ‘way ahead of the politicians’ as Trump dismisses global heating as ‘hoax’ Amid a summer of dangerous heat, drought and floods, a majority of Americans are connecting increasingly severe weather to the climate crisis, new polling shows, despite efforts a “con job” and a “hoax”. It’s a sign that attempts to suppress polarize climate concerns may not be seeing full success, said Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at Data for Progress. “We started with the question of our extreme weather events increasing, because we thought [that] if we can find consensus on that, that can be an entry point to being able to have a more bipartisan conversation about climate and climate intervention,” she said. About 61% of likely American voters believe extreme weather events have become more frequent over the past five years, the survey from the progressive polling firm Data for Progress, shared exclusively with the Guardian, found. That includes 72% of Democrats, 63% of Independents, and nearly half – 46% – of all Republicans. Sheldon Whitehouse, the Rhode Island senator who has long criticized Democrats for quieting their talk of global warming – or “climate-hushing” – said the new data “adds to the mountain of evidence that the public is way ahead of the politicians on the dire consequences of climate change”. “Climate hushers who ignore this righteous fight should take note,” he told the Guardian. Bar chart of a poll saying voters believe extreme weather is increasingThe researchers also asked participants about whether or not specific forms of extreme weather are being “worsened ”. Majorities linked climate change to worsening wildfires (64%), droughts (63%), flooding and flash flooding (62%), hurricanes (59%), and severe thunderstorms and hailstorms (59%). But heatwaves topped the list, with 67% saying climate change is making them worse – including 48% of Republicans, the highest share for any of the extreme weather events surveyed. That could be because nearly everyone in the US has experienced unusually hot days or weeks in recent years, said Adcox. But Jennifer Marlon, a senior research scientist at Yale who also focuses on climate communications, said despite this, it’s not clear if most Americans understand why exactly the climate is changing. “This is probably the biggest misconception out there – many Americans still think the warming is due to some kind of natural cycle.
How Trump and his administration have mired the US in multiple crises
A man holds a sign at a rally near the White House against US military action in Iran in April 2026. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via View image in fullscreen A man holds a sign at a rally near the White House against US military action in Iran in April 2026. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via How Trump and his administration have mired the US in multiple crises From manufactured election insecurity to an outbreak of ‘explosive’ diarrhea, Americans are bearing the brunt of harmful policies Between widespread cuts to vital government agencies, various disease and illness outbreaks, and new environmental disaster vulnerabilities, the United States is facing a convergence of crises with widespread repercussions. Yet the Trump administration has hamstrung the federal government from addressing these crises – and in some cases is actively fanning them. Over the past year, the administration has moved to shrink the federal workforce, roll back environmental protections and policies intended to fight the climate crisis, reduced funding for scientific research and is seeking to advance legislation that would impose new voting restrictions. Trump accused of trying to ‘rig’ elections after firing federal commissioners Just this week, Trump delivered an address casting doubt on the integrity of US elections, and last week, appointed a critic of mainstream climate science to oversee the government’s flagship report about the impact of climate change on the United States. Meanwhile, the country is facing a nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive” diarrhea. Here’s a closer look at each crisis unfolding. Election security View image in fullscreen Donald Trump speaks about election security during an address to the nation from the White House on Thursday. Photograph: Saul Loeb/Pool via ReutersTrump’s zeal to downsize the federal government has spared few corners. Despite his professed concerns with election security – articulated on Thursday night in a conspiracy-laden attack on US democracy – his administration has dramatically weakened the offices intended to safeguard US elections. His administration began its time in power ’s threat of election meddling. His staffing cuts cost the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, which is tasked with countering cyber threats, a third of its workforce, according to Mark Warner, a Democratic senator. The administration has also proposed slashing the agency’s budget by $707m in order to address “weaponization and waste”. Earlier this month, Trump ousted the only three commissioners left serving on an independent federal commission that assists states with election administration.
‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices
Firefighters tackle the flames of the Vouzela wildfire in Cercosa in Mortagua, Portugal, in early July. Photograph: Paulo Cunha/EPA View image in fullscreen Firefighters tackle the flames of the Vouzela wildfire in Cercosa in Mortagua, Portugal, in early July. Photograph: Paulo Cunha/EPA ‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices As the climate crisis fuels more intense blazes, pushing them to new parts of the world, those tackling them are forced to ration resources and decide which to fight César Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with no more water left in his truck, he and his colleagues fled an inferno ravaging Spain’s Montgó mountain region, wishing their bosses had sent more support. But nearly three decades on, as an officer with Alicante’s provincial firefighters, Alcaraz has more sympathy for the agonising choices that commanders have to make. When wildfires overwhelm an area, his job resembles that of a doctor in an emergency room with too few ventilators. It is a dilemma growing more onerous as wildfires worsen across the Mediterranean – and is beginning to confront countries as cold as the UK, where wildfires are invading cities, homes and gardens. View image in fullscreen Flames and smoke rise from a wildfire near the municipality of El Pocico in Almería, Spain, earlier in July. Photograph: Pablo Blázquez Domínguez/“It’s not just about having more fires to fight, it’s the risk of operational collapse,” said Alcaraz, who sits in the command centre and sees concurrent blazes occurring more often and earlier in the year. “When two or three fires break out simultaneously, we are forced to make immediate triage decisions.” Deadly wildfires have engulfed western Europe this month – the grim consequence of a trio of heatwaves that have turned lush vegetation into dry tinder – while separate blazes suffocate North America with cloying smoke. France, Portugal and Spain have each been torched by a record-breaking number of wildfires for this time of year, leaving an unprecedented area of France in flames and 13 people dead in Spain. The UK began the week with 19 separate wildfires that led experts to warn of a “firewave” more widespread than ever before. View image in fullscreen Fires in northern Ontario in Canada caused poor air quality in Toronto, which had the worst air quality of any major city in the world on Wednesday.
Weather
View All 7Today: Sunny Intervals, Minimum Temperature: 13°C (55°F) Maximum Temperature: 25°C (76°F)
This video can not be played Today will be dry and warm. Throughout the day, there will be a mixture of patchy cloud moving in from the north along with sunny spells. Tonight will be dry with a mixture of variable cloud and clear spells for all. Tomorrow will start with a few patches of cloud and sunny spells. Plenty of sunshine will develop through the morning, but patchy cloud could return in the afternoon. A dry, very warm day. Outlook for Wednesday to Friday Wednesday will see cloudy periods and the odd light shower. Thursday will start dry and mostly sunny, but cloudier in the afternoon, with the odd shower. Dry with late hazy sunshine in the evening. Areas of low cloud will move in from the west but it will be dry. Plenty of late sunshine in the evening. Average wind speed 3 Miles per hour, South South Easterly3Average wind speed 5 Kilometres per hour, South South Easterly5 Humidity: Humidity: 86%,86% Visibility: Visibility: Excellent, Excellent Pressure: Pressure: 1027 millibars, Steady,1027mb, Steady Observation station: Rostherne no 2 (53.367° North, 2.383° West)Observation station: Rostherne no 2 (53.367° N, 2.383° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Standish, Wigan Northern Rambler Reported , Wigan OutnaboutReported , Tameside Razzamataz Reported , Bolton keithReported by keith
Tuesday: Sunny Intervals, Minimum Temperature: 13°C (55°F) Maximum Temperature: 25°C (76°F)
This video can not be played Today will be dry and warm. Throughout the day, there will be a mixture of patchy cloud moving in from the north along with sunny spells. Tonight will be dry with a mixture of variable cloud and clear spells for all. Tomorrow will start with a few patches of cloud and sunny spells. Plenty of sunshine will develop through the morning, but patchy cloud could return in the afternoon. A dry, very warm day. Outlook for Wednesday to Friday Wednesday will see cloudy periods and the odd light shower. Thursday will start dry and mostly sunny, but cloudier in the afternoon, with the odd shower. Dry with late hazy sunshine in the evening. Areas of low cloud will move in from the west but it will be dry. Plenty of late sunshine in the evening. Average wind speed 3 Miles per hour, South South Easterly3Average wind speed 5 Kilometres per hour, South South Easterly5 Humidity: Humidity: 86%,86% Visibility: Visibility: Excellent, Excellent Pressure: Pressure: 1027 millibars, Steady,1027mb, Steady Observation station: Rostherne no 2 (53.367° North, 2.383° West)Observation station: Rostherne no 2 (53.367° N, 2.383° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Standish, Wigan Northern Rambler Reported , Wigan OutnaboutReported , Tameside Razzamataz Reported , Bolton keithReported by keith
Dramatic Cold Wave Breaks Extreme Heat Across Central Europe and The Balkans
After enduring a historic and persistent stretch of excessive heat across the European continent, a welcome atmospheric shift is bringing much-needed cold refreshment to the eastern half of Europe. Central Europe and the Balkans, which recently faced intense heat stress, urban heat islands, and multiple tropical nights, are finally experiencing a significant temperature downturn this week. This weather pattern shift is driven by a dynamic upper-level flow that is allowing cooler, more unstable air masses to push southward. With a deep low-pressure system influencing the region, daytime highs are dropping down to comfortable, seasonable averages, staying below 30. For urban residents in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania, and across the Balkan Peninsula, this means a dramatic reduction in heat-related strain and an opportunity to finally cool overheated buildings and infrastructure. Along with the cooling temperatures, the transition will also trigger scattered thunderstorms where the cooler air mass collides with lingering heat from the central Mediterranean to the southern Balkans late this week. While these storms with downpours will bring some drought relief, they likely won’t be enough to lower high wildfire risks that accumulated during the peak of the recent heatwaves. For millions across eastern and central regions, this refreshing break offers a vital pause before summer weather patterns evolve further. Let’s dig into the details of how this week’s weather pattern evolves over the continent. Weather pattern flips from Extreme Heat into a much-needed cold refreshment over Europe The driving mechanism behind the pattern shift is the strengthening of the upper-level ridge over the Atlantic, allowing a large cold wave to develop over northern Europe and progress southward in the coming days. The colder air mass will spread behind the leading cold front through mid-week, engulfing Central and Eastern Europe in temperatures 4- 8 °C below average by Thursday. The refreshing air mass will spread across the whole Eastern half of Europe this week. It will remain extremely hot across southwestern Europe; we will have those details in a separate article later. The surface pressure will also respond to the geopotential falls to the east and higher pressure under the ridge to the west. This means flow will be more meridional for a while. The air masses will be transported from the far north, rounding the western Block and dragging the cold air far south towards the Balkans, including the Eastern Mediterranean late this week. The strongest effect of the eastern trough will arrive , when its core will be dragged into the far southern Balkans as a deep cold wave.
Tropical Storm Watch issued for Florida Panhandle as new Gulf system strengthens
Satellite image of Tropical Depression Two at UTC on July 19, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, Zoom Earth, The Watchers At UTC, the center of the depression was located about 250 km (155 miles) south of Panama City, Florida. Maximum sustained winds were 45 km/h (30 mph), and the system was moving north-northwest at 4 km/h (2 mph). The estimated minimum central pressure was 1 011 mb. NHC said tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area , July 20. A Tropical Storm Watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case, in the next 36 to 48 hours. The depression is forecast to move slowly northwestward or north-northwestward during the next day or two, followed by a turn toward the west. On the forecast track, the system is expected to move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days. Gradual strengthening is forecast, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm tonight or Monday. The NHC forecast advisory initialized the system at 45 km/h (30 mph) and brings it to 95 km/h (60 mph) by 72–96 hours, before weakening inland by 120 hours. Tropical Depression Two NHC forecast track at UTC on July 19, 2026. Credit: NWS/NHC The system developed a well-defined low-level circulation after being monitored as Invest 91L. NHC described convection as patchy because of dry air from the northeast, but persistent enough near the center and in bands northeast and southwest of the center to classify the system as a tropical depression. The storm surge forecast calls for 0.3 to 0.9 m (1 to 3 feet) of inundation above ground level from Indian Pass, Florida, to Chassahowitzka, Florida, if peak surge occurs at high tide. The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast. Rainfall totals of 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches), with locally higher amounts near 200 mm (8 inches), are forecast through Thursday, July 23, along the eastern and central Gulf Coast from western Florida to southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This rainfall may produce flash flooding, especially in urban areas. Rainfall forecast for July 19-22, 2026. Credit: NWS/NHC /NHC Additional watches will likely be required over the next day or two. NHC advised residents in the affected region to monitor products from local National Weather Service forecast offices for storm information specific to their area, including possible inland watches and warnings. The depression is embedded between ridging over the western Atlantic, ridging over the south-central and southwestern United States, and a trough over the northeastern United States, leaving the system in a slow-motion pattern near the northern Gulf Coast.
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