Record number of homes in Great Britain turn to green energy as fuel prices soar
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

Iran war drives demand for solar panels, heat pumps and EVs, with energy bills expected to rise 18% from July

British households are turning to green home energy upgrades in record numbers to try to keep bills down as the Iran crisis sends global oil and gas prices soaring, data from leading energy suppliers suggests.

Figures show demand for solar panels, electric vehicles and heat pumps in Great Britain has leapt since the war began on 28 February, as households brace for a sharp increase in monthly payments when the next energy price cap takes effect in the summer.

Read more...

McDonald’s CEO blames mother’s etiquette training for awkward burger bite in video
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

Chris Kempczinski’s taste test was mocked online, to which he said his mother had taught him: ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full’

The chief executive officer of McDonald’s recently blamed etiquette guidance from his mother for a February on-camera taste test that made him a target for ridicule – and summarily recorded another video of him eating one of the fast-food giant’s offerings in a manner potential consumers found awkward.

Chris Kempczinski suggested to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) earlier in April that he was simply heeding maternal advice to never talk with his mouth full when he took the humorously small bite at the center of a viral video which depicted him discussing and sampling the new Big Arch burger from McDonald’s.

Read more...

Crispin Odey drops £79m libel claim against FT over sexual misconduct allegations
Posted on Friday April 10, 2026

Ex-hedge fund manager ‘forced to accept’ newspaper likely to succeed in its public interest defence, say his lawyers

Crispin Odey, the former hedge fund manager, has dropped his £79m libel claim against the Financial Times over its reporting of sexual misconduct allegations against him, his lawyers have said.

In 2023, the FT published several articles from 20 women alleging sexual assault and harassment against Odey, covering a period of five decades. He has previously denied the allegations against him.

Read more...

‘Abhorrent’: the inside story of the Polymarket gamblers betting millions on war
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

A Guardian investigation reveals how the prediction market can shape news – and how it rules on ‘the truth’

“Horekunden” was rapidly losing patience.

His frustration was with the Institute for the Study of War, a US thinktank which produces a daily map of the frontline in Ukraine.

Read more...

‘It has your name on it, but I don’t think it’s you’: how AI is impersonating musicians on Spotify
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

Fraudulent music streams have long been a scourge for the industry, but experts say generative AI has supercharged it

Jason Moran, a renowned jazz composer and pianist, got a strange call from a friend last month. The friend, bassist Burniss Earl Travis, was curious about Moran’s new record that he saw on the music streaming service Spotify.

“It has your name on it,” Travis told him. “But I don’t think it’s you.”

Read more...

‘Irresponsible failure’: Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft slam EU over child sexual abuse law lapse
Posted on Friday April 10, 2026

Experts warn lapse could sharply reduce reports of abuse, echoing a 58% drop during a similar legal gap in 2021

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

The European parliament has blocked the extension of a law that permits big tech firms to scan for child sexual exploitation on their platforms, creating a legal gap that child safety experts say will lead to crimes going undetected.

The law, which was a carve-out of the European Union’s ePrivacy Directive, was put in place in 2021 as a temporary measure allowing companies to use automated detection technologies to scan messages for harms, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming and sextortion. However, it expired on 3 April, and the EU parliament decided not to vote to extend it, amid privacy concerns from some lawmakers.

This article was amended on 10 April 2026 to correct the name of the EU’s ePrivacy Directive.

Read more...

The Masters 2026: day three golf updates from Augusta National – live
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

️ Latest updates from Moving Day at Augusta National
️ Official leaderboard | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Scott

Max Homa led at this stage two years ago, ending the week in third spot after falling away over the weekend with a pair of 73s. Undaunted, he came back last year, and tied for 12th. The 35-year-old Californian has fallen in love with Augusta National late in life, and he’s going well again this week. Birdies at 1 and 2 have whisked him up the standings to -4.

While we’re waiting for the leading players to take to the course, we’ve got time to indulge in a wee spot of Masters nostalgia. This episode of This Golfing Life, a wonderful new golf podcast hosted by the award-winning journalist and author Dan Davies, dives deep into the career of the 1980 and 1983 champion, the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and comes much recommended. (Fans of Paddington and Maurice Flitcroft may enjoy this episode too.) Get on it!

Read more...

Liverpool 2-0 Fulham: Premier League – live reaction
Posted on Saturday April 11, 2026

⚽️ Premier League updates, 5.30pm BST kick-off at Anfield
⚽️ Live scores | Latest table | And follow us on Bluesky

3 min Both teams have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation as expected.

1 min Fulham kick off from left to right as we watch. The home fans launch straight into a song about Andy Robertson, who announced this week that he will leave the club this summer. £8m he cost.

Read more...