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The Approval of Stratos Datacenter A plan to create one of the world’s largest datacenters, a gargantuan project spanning an area more than twice the size of Manhattan, has provoked a furious public backlash in Utah amid concerns over its vast energy use and impact upon the state’s stressed water supplies. The Project Details The Stratos artificial intelligence datacenter footprint will cover more than 40,000 acres (62 sq miles) over three sites in Box Elder county in north-western Utah. The facility will require about 9GW of power, which is more than the entire state of Utah currently consumes, and suck up a significant amount of water in an area that has been hit by severe drought in recent years. The Environmental Impact Environmentalists have warned that Stratos could imperil the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, including a critical migratory bird habitat, which is already under severe stress. The lake is shrinking due to water diverted for agriculture and the impact of the climate crisis, placing inhabitants of the nearby Salt Lake City at possible risk of toxic dust clouds as the lake bed dries up. The Public Backlash Last week, the project was approved by the county’s commissioners, despite thousands of objections lodged by Utah residents. Nearly 4,000 people have lodged objections to the project being approved, with this pushback leading to contentious public meetings. The Future Outlook A group calling itself the Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed an application for a referendum to reverse the commissioners’ approval of Stratos. If the group is able to collect 5,422 signatures from registered voters in the county in the next 45 days, the project approval will go to a vote in November.

Live Overview: England vs New Zealand Second Women’s ODI Wednesday, 13 May 2026 – The live feed launches with a brief welcome, reminding readers of the first ODI’s nail‑biting finish and setting the stage for today’s encounter at Northampton. Match Context: Recap of the First ODI and Team Line‑ups The opening match ended in a one‑wicket victory for England, chased down 211 runs. Charlie Dean (stand‑in captain) remained unbeaten on 31 runs. Debutant Tilly Corteen‑Coleman (18) contributed 3 runs and bowled 2/49 in 10 overs. New Zealand, led by Melie Kerr, await a sunny spell; the forecast is “dodgy”. Key Numbers: First‑Match Scorecard and Weather Outlook England’s target: 212 runs (211 chased). Bowling figures: Corteen‑Coleman 2/49; other bowlers yet to make a mark. Start time for today: 1 pm BST, pending weather clearance. Weather: Rain showers expected; a delayed toss was reported at 12:34 BST. Implications for the Series and Women’s Cricket Landscape The tight finish in the first ODI raises the stakes for the series decider. A win for England would give them a 2‑0 lead, reinforcing their growing depth in the women’s game, while New Zealand will aim to level the series and showcase emerging talent such as Kerr’s side. What to Watch: Forecast for the Rest of the Day Potential interruptions – keep an eye on the rain radar. Key battles: Charlie Dean with the bat vs New Zealand’s top order; Tilly Corteen‑Coleman with the ball. Series momentum – a win for either side could shift confidence heading into the final ODI.

England have announced a 15‑man squad for the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s on 4 June, inserting three uncapped players – Emilio Gay, James Rew and Sonny Baker – and recalling fast‑bowler Ollie Robinson after a two‑year absence.Uncapped Trio Earn Spots in England’s First Test SquadThe selections reflect a post‑Ashes clean‑up and a clear intent to reward strong county performances. Gay, a Durham batsman, averages 92 this season; Rew, a 22‑year‑old Somerset wicket‑keeper‑batter, has already amassed 12 centuries in first‑class cricket; and Baker, a 22‑year‑old Hampshire seam‑bowler, has taken 14 wickets at 26.21 this summer.Statistical Snapshot: Performances that Secured SelectionEmilio Gay – 92 average in Durham’s Division Two campaign.James Rew – 12 first‑class centuries; recent opening debut yielded 4 and 0.Sonny Baker – 14 wickets at 26.21 for Hampshire.Ollie Robinson – 76 Test wickets at an average of 22 before being dropped in 2024.Strategic Shift: County Form and New Selector InfluenceEngland’s newly appointed selector Marcus North – former Durham director of cricket – emphasised “the strength and depth of talent across the domestic system”. His appointment coincides with a pledge to “pay more attention to county form”, explaining why players with standout domestic numbers have been fast‑tracked.Veteran Ben Duckett retains his place, while Zak Crawley is omitted after a poor start to the season. The seam‑bowling department now features a competition between Baker, Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson and the returning Robinson.Looking Ahead: How the Squad Might Shape the Lord’s TestWith a 15‑man roster, head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have flexibility to experiment. If Robinson and Atkinson take the new‑ball duties, England could gain extra pace depth. The open‑ers slot remains contested; Duckett’s form will be tested against the possibility of promoting a newcomer.Should the uncapped trio translate their county success to the international stage, England could signal a broader generational shift, reinforcing the link between domestic performance and Test selection.

The Lead: Carla Simón's Unique Approach to Family DramaFamily reunions in European arthouse cinema are almost always unhappy events, on a scale of strife that ranges from simmering resentment to spectacular score-settling. Carla Simón, however, has a rare gift: she makes you leave the cinema with renewed faith that having relatives and keeping in touch with them may actually be a wonderful thing.No film-maker working in Europe now is as capable of turning birthday gatherings, garden parties or poolside barbecues into thrillingly sprawling canvases of human virtue and vice as this 39-year-old rising star. From a riotous water fight in the Berlinale Golden Bear-winning farming drama Alcarràs to a foul-mouthed dinner table singalong in her new film Romería, Simón directs kinship meetings with the attention to detail that other film-makers may invest in action sequences or dance routines.The Event Details: Romería and the Journey to Self-DiscoveryAmong the tricks Simón employs, she explains, is to ensure her actors only read the script once before the camera starts rolling, so they have to improvise to fill the gaps. She takes her casts to parties, for walks and on shopping trips, and if there are disagreements on the way, so much the better. The ultimate secret sauce, though, is to ignore WC Fields's notorious advice and always work with children and animals."I never get bored of working with kids," she says. "When you are only working with adult actors, shooting becomes more like executing an idea that you have in your mind, and I think that is not interesting. With children, you always have this feeling that that things are going to happen in front of the camera by chance. It keeps things alive."Her new film Romería, meaning "pilgrimage" in Spanish, dives deeper into the story of the biological parents she barely got to know. Eighteen-year-old Marina travels to her relatives in Vigo, in north-western Galicia, purportedly to find the death certificate of her biological father, which she needs to study film-making in Barcelona. The initial reaction is warm, but family is a room with dark corners and locked closets.The Personal Journey: Aids, Loss and Family SecretsSimón's fascination with freewheeling scenes of family life was undoubtedly honed through her own biography. Born in Barcelona in 1986, her father died when she was three and her mother when she was six. Both of them succumbed to Aids. She was 12 when her adoptive mother told her that her parents had been infected with the autoimmune disease through their use of drugs.All of her first three films have been strongly autobiographical: Summer 1993 tells the story of a six-year-old girl who moves to an unspecified location countryside to live with her aunt after the death of her mother, while 2022's Alcarràs is specifically set in the Catalan peach-growing community of her adoptive family.In the film, a cache of letters written by her late mother opens up a portal to the time when her parents met and discovered love – for each other, the Atlantic Ocean and drugs. The letters, Simón explains, are real. "She wrote to her friends and family while she lived in Vigo. Her Catalan is full of mistakes, because teaching Catalan was banned under the Franco regime. But they are the most important thing that I have from my mother, because suddenly I can hear her talking."The Impact Analysis: Spanish Cinema and the Legacy of AidsSpanish cinema has a track record in making films where child actors take centre stage: Ana Torrent's spell-binding turn as a young girl obsessed with the Frankenstein tale in Víctor Erice's 1973 film The Spirit of the Beehive is considered an all-time great performance by a minor, and Simón describes it as "a very, very important film for me".During the transition period after Franco's rule, Madrid gave birth to la movida, a countercultural movement that celebrated lifestyles that had been banned under military rule. "All these kids who were raised under Franco and religious oppression, suddenly freedom arrived and they embraced it", Simón says. "They didn't think much about the future or the consequences of what they were experimenting with. And then the drugs came in."When we talk about this generation in Spain, people sometimes use words like shame and blame, but I feel that's really unfair: people like my parents just had bad luck.The Future Direction: Beyond Family in Simón's Next ProjectHalfway through Romería there is a stylistic shift, from the Eurorealism she favoured in her previous works toward something more magical-realist: there is a mysterious cat you might expect to encounter in a Miyazaki film, and an unforgettable dance number set to Vigo punk rocker's Siniestro Total's song Bailaré Sobre Tu Tumba ("I'll Dance on Your Grave")."These three films I've made are kind of a cycle, because they all talk about my family, adoptive and biological. But since I became a mother a few years ago, I feel that my place in the family changed. When you have kids you feel it's a new period in your life, so I feel like maybe doing something that has nothing to do with my family."Her next film, she confides, is going to be a flamenco musical.

The Deadly Israeli Drone Strikes Three Israeli drone strikes on cars on a major highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon have killed at least eight people, including two children, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported. A photograph of the bombed cars shared by Lebanon’s National News Agency following the attacks on Wednesday in the Jiyeh area, some 20km (12 miles) south of the Lebanese capital, showed the vehicles severely damaged, their exteriors charred and torn apart. Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, said the “conflict is only escalating”. “It is a conflict that is taking a high toll on the civilians who live in these areas,” she said. Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold a new round of direct negotiations in Washington on Thursday, brokered by the United States. Hezbollah, which has been launching attacks on northern Israel and on Israeli troops who have entered and occupied a section of southern Lebanon, says it opposes the negotiations in the US. The Humanitarian Toll On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military issued forced displacement orders for the residents of Meiss el-Jabal, Yanouh, Burj Shemali, Hula, Debl and Aabbasiyyeh, warning that it will soon act against these six southern Lebanese villages “forcefully”. Anyone who remains “endangers their life,” the military said, warning residents to move at least 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) away to “open areas”. After this new round of forced displacement orders – which have been happening almost daily in the past week – Al Jazeera’s Khodr said one of the few remaining hospitals in the area was in the displacement zone. At least 100,000 people still live in the district of Tyre. 13 people were killed in attacks on towns in the south on Tuesday. Two Lebanese Civil Defence paramedics were among the dead. At least 380 people have been killed during the truce. The total death toll since the Israeli invasion and bombardment began on March 2 is more than 2,800. 108 emergency medical services and healthcare workers have been killed in Lebanon during the war. The Future Outlook “All of this is having a huge impact here on the communities in southern Lebanon,” Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said from Tyre. “And there is a growing humanitarian crisis, with over a million people displaced.”

The Recent Tremors A series of nine small earthquakes struck the Pardis area east of Tehran overnight, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday, renewing fears among experts and residents that the Iranian capital could face a major seismic disaster. Concerns Over Accumulated Tectonic Pressure The repeated activity has revived concerns that accumulated tectonic pressure beneath and around the capital, which lies close to several active fault lines, could at some point in the future trigger a much larger earthquake. The Mosha Fault: A Major Seismic Zone The tremors, recorded over a single night in eastern Tehran province, were felt in an area close to the Mosha fault, one of Iran’s most active seismic zones. The fault, about 150km (93 miles) in length, is one of the major active faults of the country, located approximately 40km (25 miles) from the capital. No Casualties or Damage Reported State media reported that the magnitude of one of the earthquakes was 4.6, but the mild seismic activity did not cause casualties or material damage. Warnings of Future Risk Semi-official Mehr news agency quoted seismologist Mehdi Zare as saying it was not clear whether the tremors represented a release of built-up seismic energy that would reduce future risk or instead were warning signs of stronger future activity along the fault system near Tehran. Zare warned that Tehran’s vulnerability is amplified not only by active fault lines but also by dense urban development, population concentration and limited preparedness. He said even relatively small earthquakes can cause disruption in the capital due to fragile infrastructure and congestion, complicating emergency response. Tehran's Vulnerability Tehran, a metropolitan area of more than 14 million people, lies near major active faults, including the North Tehran, Mosha and Rey. Iranian experts have repeatedly warned that a major earthquake near Tehran could have catastrophic consequences. Iran is among the world’s most quake-prone countries, and memories remain vivid of the 2003 Bam earthquake, which killed more than 30,000 people.

The Passing of a TrailblazerJason Collins, the first openly gay active player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), has died at the age of 47 after battling cancer. His family confirmed the news in a statement, describing his fight against glioblastoma as "valiant." Collins revealed his diagnosis in September 2025, disclosing he had stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.A Career in Professional BasketballThe 7-foot center (2.13 meters) played 13 seasons in the NBA, making significant contributions to several teams. Selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 draft, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets on draft night. Collins also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizards.Collins helped the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 alongside teammates Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, showcasing his value as a professional athlete.A Historic Moment in SportsIn April 2013, Collins made headlines when he became the first active male athlete in one of North America's four major professional sports leagues to publicly come out as gay. His decision was announced in a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated, which received widespread support across the sports world.Former United States President Barack Obama publicly praised Collins' courage, stating that he "couldn't be prouder" of Collins for taking this step. His coming out represented a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in professional sports.Enduring Legacy and Impact"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," his family said in their statement. "Our family will miss him dearly."Arn Tellem, Collins' former agent and current vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons, emphasized the lasting impact of his decision to come out: "Jason's legacy stands as a beacon for tolerance, dignity, respect, inclusion, compassion, and understanding. He left this world better than he found it."The Future of LGBTQ+ Representation in SportsCollins' passing comes at a time when LGBTQ+ representation in professional sports continues to evolve. His courageous decision to come out in 2013 paved the way for other athletes to be open about their identities without fear of professional repercussions. As sports organizations continue to promote diversity and inclusion, Collins' legacy will undoubtedly continue to influence future generations of athletes.

The Cultural Phenomenon of Northern SoulAlan Byron's film is an absorbing docu-celebration of the northern soul scene that flourished from the late 1960s to the end of the 1970s. It was a fascinating, vernacular youth movement and a kind of regional open secret: a club culture, a zine culture, a music-and-fashion culture which uncynically invented and sustained itself without the need for any svengali figure from London to keep the show on the road. Northern soul fans were passionate about thumpingly sensual mid-60s American soul, a musical style which they kept alive on the all-night dancefloor by doing spectacular spins and drops, while the official voice of the music business decreed that disco or MOR rock or glam or heavy metal was where it was at.The Wigan Casino LegacyDJs would travel to the US to sort through the boxes and mounds of 7-inch vinyl which had been discarded by Motown and the radio stations – basically prospecting for gold – and bring it back to northern English clubs. The principal clearing house was the mighty Wigan Casino which mounted legendary all-nighters from 2am to 8am, attracting soul fans from miles around who knew that this was the only place where certain tracks could be heard. (No Spotify or Apple Music in those days.)Cultural Resistance and RecognitionLicensing laws meant that only Coca-Cola could be served, but dancers took amphetamine, a part of the northern soul scene that has perhaps only recently been acknowledged fully, and is in fact not looked into all that closely here. It carried on through the 1970s, all but ignored by the cultural gatekeepers of the south; that is, until documentarist Tony Palmer brought his cameras and lights into the club to make The Wigan Casino as part of Granada TV's This England strand, an outsider incursion grumblingly resented at the time but now treasured as a unique archive record.Understanding the Movement's IdentityWhat is fascinating about northern soul is the way it survived under the media-cultural radar and appears to resist larger interpretive analysis. It was not overtly political, unlike punk or reggae, and there is no consensus here about the status of the northern soul consumers. Were they unemployed, poor, alienated and angry? Not necessarily. Many here recall having good jobs and apprenticeships of the sort they wouldn't have now.Enduring Influence and MysteriesAs for whether it was revolutionary in any sexual sense, commentator Paul Mason suggests that there was something homoerotic in the male atmosphere. Maybe, yes: but no one here has any first-hand experience to share about that. As for the Wigan Casino itself, the building's lease was terminated by the council at the end of the 70s prior to planned demolition; just when the tenants might have disputed this, the building mysteriously burned to the ground. (Maybe we need David Peace to write a novel about that.) Northern soul was clearly the godfather of the club and rave scenes of the 90s and beyond, but for me, a question remains: what did the American acts themselves think of it? Were they ever tempted (or invited) to play live at the Wigan Casino?

The World's Longest Football DerbyCarlisle and Barrow will play each other next season in the Cumbrian derby in the National League. The clubs are located at opposite ends of Cumbria and the distance between the two grounds is some 78 miles by car. But this is not the greatest distance between two teams involved in a 'derby'.When considering derbies, we are looking for matches between teams that are linked based upon their proximity or geography, rather than simply historical rivalries like the 'clásico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona.UK Derbies: The Cumbrian ContenderWithin the UK, the Cumbrian derby certainly looks the furthest derby by distance. If we are staying in England, the closest we can get to 78 miles is the A49 derby between Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United, separated by 51 miles, although it should be said that the two teams have not met since the latter was dissolved in 2014.In England, thoughts immediately go to Crystal Palace and Brighton, dubbed the M23 derby, but a quick search reveals that Selhurst Park is a mere 46 miles from the Amex Stadium. It is also 46 miles that separate the stadiums of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City, the Devon derby. Just behind are Ipswich and Norwich – the East Anglian derby (AKA El Tractico or the Old Farm) – with Portman Road and Carrow Road 45 miles apart.International Long-Distance DerbiesFarther afield, we must mention the derby between Persib Bandung and Persija Jakarta, who take part in the Indonesia derby, or Laga Klasikal as it is locally known, with Persib's Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium lying 108 miles away from Persija's Jakarta International Stadium in Indonesia's capital.Italy is fertile ground for a host of famous derbies, and it is here that we find some of the longest-distance derbies. Of course there is the Derby d'Italia between Milan and Juventus, with 85 miles separating San Siro and Juve's Allianz Arena in Italy's north-west. The Derby di Sicilia between Palermo and Catania spans a whopping 134 miles across the breadth of Sicily, while the Derby delle Isole (Derby of the Islands) between Palermo and Sardinian club Cagliari goes even further – a full 250 miles across the Tyrrhenian Sea.The Champion: New Zealand's 386-Mile DerbyOur winner, though, comes from New Zealand's North Island. With Auckland FC only entering the A-League Men in 2024-25, the New Zealand derby between themselves and Wellington Phoenix is still very much in its infancy but has already blossomed into something substantial. In February, just the sixth edition of the derby, a comical own goal from Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi sparked a 5-0 thrashing by Auckland, prompting Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano to resign immediately after the defeat. With 386 miles between the two grounds, the NZD is our clear winner.The Evolution of Geographic DerbiesThe existence of such long-distance derbies challenges our traditional understanding of what constitutes a local rivalry. In an era where football has become increasingly globalized, these geographic matchups represent unique connections between communities separated by vast distances. The New Zealand derby, in particular, showcases how even in a country with a relatively small population, football can create intense rivalries across significant geographical divides.The Future of Long-Distance DerbiesAs football continues to evolve, we may see more long-distance derbies emerge, particularly in regions with expanding leagues or where new clubs are formed to serve underserved areas. The New Zealand derby between Auckland and Wellington Phoenix is a prime example of how modern football infrastructure and scheduling can create meaningful rivalries regardless of distance. With the increasing popularity of travel and fan engagement, these long-distance derbies may become even more significant in the future of football culture.Double Winners in FootballDeji Elerewe has won the title with both Bromley (League Two) and Lincoln (League One) this season. Has any other player managed the same feat?We covered this answer 10 years ago in a previous Knowledge, but regular contributor Dirk Maas has come in clutch with some additions, although he does clarify that he has limited his search to the top five leagues in Europe in this century.There are several examples of players winning titles with different teams in the same season, including:Jonas Urbig with Köln (2. Bundesliga) and Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) in 2024-25Leigh Griffiths with Celtic (Scottish Premiership) and Wolverhampton (League One) in 2013-14Urby Emanuelson with Ajax and Milan in 2010-11Daniel Amartey with Leicester City and FC Copenhagen in 2015-16Timothy Weah with Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic in 2018-19Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with Napoli and PSG in 2024-25There are also alternative cases where seasons happen at different times of year, such as David Beckham achieving this by picking up an MLS winner's medal with LA Galaxy and a Ligue 1 winner's medal with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012-13.