Author: Liam Porter

Iran built its most critical nuclear enrichment facility, Fordo, deep inside a mountain to shield it from attacks.But the United States has a bomb that experts think could probably reach the subterranean site. President Trump is considering a plan to use it.Only the U.S. military has the 30,000-pound GBU-57, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator, that may be able to destroy Fordo, and it is the only armed force with aircraft that can carry out a mission with it. Sources: Congressional Research Service (bomb capabilities); Center for Strategic and International Studies, Institute for Science and International Security (minimum depth of facility) The…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.US private equity giant Apollo will provide £4.5bn in debt financing to support the UK’s Hinkley Point nuclear project, in a deal that will help ease financial pressures on the flagship development.The investment grade financing will be provided as unsecured debt at an interest rate just below 7 per cent, people familiar with the matter said.The funding could be used for other UK projects by French state-owned electricity group EDF, but Hinkley Point is expected to be the primary target for the…

I’ve visited the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Footscray many times but last week I saw it in an entirely different light: as a nightmarish bizarro world, sort of real and sort of not. The concept of using art to reinvigorate disused spaces is far from novel, but it’s been taken to compelling heights in The Door in Question, an intense – and at times deeply unsettling – 90-minute extended reality, or XR, production that blends immersive theatre, escape rooms, virtual reality and mixed reality (overlaying the real world with digital elements).Described by creator and director Troy Rainbow as “an immersive…

Marian Crișan, who won the Palme d’Or in Cannes for his short film “Megatron” as well as directing Locarno award-winning “Morgen” and HBO series “Silent Valley,” is gearing up to shoot his next project in Romania this August. “Holy Light” is a co-production between Crișan’s Rova Film banner, Moldova’s Alternative Cinema, and Slovakia’s Nukleon Frame and financed through CNC Romania, CNC Moldova, and the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Speaking with Variety out of his homeground at the Transilvania Film Festival, where he is presenting at the Pitch Stop as the producer for Ilinca Straton and Eugen Dediu’s “At King’s Gate,” Crișan…

One of my most vivid memories of covering the NBA is watching T.J. McConnell shoot 3-pointers in an off-site practice gym. It was 2018 and the 76ers were in Miami playing the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. I was there to interview then-Sixers coach Brett Brown, but I found myself more interested in this little dude hoisting shots up in the background. And yes, hoisting is the right word. In stark contrast to most NBA players who flick up 30 footers like they’re tossing wadded-up paper into the trash bin, McConnell appeared to be using every ounce of…

Mark PoyntingClimate reporter, BBC NewsEPAThe Earth could be doomed to breach the symbolic 1.5C warming limit in as little as three years at current levels of carbon dioxide emissions.That’s the stark warning from more than 60 of the world’s leading climate scientists in the most up-to-date assessment of the state of global warming.Nearly 200 countries agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above levels of the late 1800s in a landmark agreement in 2015, with the aim of avoiding some of the worst impacts of climate change.But countries have continued to burn record amounts of coal, oil…

I was at my home airport of LAX covering a recent Condor press event, at which the airline unveiled new European routes and showed off its sleek A330neo business class cabin. But there was another highly specific detail that caught my attention: While standing in a group, I overheard one airline executive casually mention he never travels without his portable kettle. Even on short trips. Even when flying carry-on only. Naturally, I had to know more, so I leaned in and pressed the conversation. “Why bother taking it? I guess it’s the most British thing you’ll hear this week, but…

Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men – who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches – disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting – where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to…

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureLisa Nandy said she hopes to see the assisted dying bill clear the House of Commons on Friday and continue its progress to becoming law, reports the PA news agency.The culture secretary was asked by Sky News if she had changed her mind about supporting the bill, after a group of Labour MPs announced they would now be voting against after previously offering support.“I’m still a supporter of this bill. I’ve had a longstanding personal commitment to change the law on assisted dying with appropriate safeguards. And I think…

Customers browse a POP MART display filled with Labubu characters and collectible figures from The Monsters series on June 16, 2025 in Chongqing, China.Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Shares in Labubu-maker Pop Mart continued to tumble Friday, after Morgan Stanley removed the stock from a focus list and state media called for stronger regulation for “blind box” toys.The Chinese toymaker first gained popularity with its “blind box” concept, in which consumers buy unmarked boxes — which can cost from about $5 to $10 each — for a chance at getting a unique figurine and building…