Hundreds of North Sea licences granted by Conservatives have ‘so far produced only 36 days worth of gas’
Hundreds of licences granted for new oil and gas projects in the North Sea under the Conservatives have so far produced only 36 days’ worth of gas, according to analysis.Research by the energy consultancy Voar and the campaign group Uplift found that between 2010 and 2024, the government handed out hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences in seven licensing rounds.This led to 20 new and relicensed fields that have the potential, over their lifetime, to produce enough gas to supply the UK for only six months. To date they have produced the equivalent of 36 days of extra gas.The findings cast doubt on claims by Reform UK and the Conservatives that new drilling licences in the North Sea would help to reduce energy bills and boost the UK’s energy security
UK ‘weeks away’ from medicine shortages if Iran war continues, experts say
Britain is “a few weeks away” from medicine shortages ranging from painkillers to cancer treatment if the Iran war continues, according to experts, while drug prices could also rise.The conflict has disrupted the supply of a myriad of crucial raw materials, including oil, gas, crop fertiliser and helium – and health essentials could be next.David Weeks, the Texas-based director of supply chain risk management at the analytics group Moody’s, said: “It’s the perfect storm. We have the conflict in the Gulf that caused the strait of Hormuz to shut down, and India is known as the pharmacy of the world. They produce a lot of the generic [off-patent] drugs and APIs [active pharmaceutical ingredients]
Sony to hike PS5 prices by $100 as AI and Iran war push up memory chip costs
Sony is raising global prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, including a $100 increase in the US, marking its second hike in less than a year as the entertainment giant grapples with rising costs of key components such as memory chips.The tech industry’s race to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure has pushed memory makers to favor higher-margin datacenter chips, tightening supply for consumer devices like the ones Sony sells.The updated US prices, effective 2 April, will put the standard PS5 at $649.99, up from $549.99
Wikipedia bans AI-generated content in its online encyclopedia
Wikipedia has banned the use of artificial intelligence in the generation or rewriting of content for its voluminous online encyclopedia.In a recent policy change, Wikipedia said that the use of large language models (or LLMs) “often violates” its core principles and will not be allowed. The English language version of Wikipedia has more than 7.1m articles.The use of AI has been a contentious issue among Wikipedia’s community of volunteer editors but a vote among the site’s editors supported the ban, according to 404 Media
Kimi Antonelli pips Mercedes teammate George Russell to pole for F1’s Japanese GP – as it happened
Giles Richards reports on another Mercedes front-row lockout, this time in qualifying at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.And that is all from me … Giles’s report will be along shortly, and do join Joey Lynch tomorrow for the race itself.Andrea Stella, the McLaren principal, is pleased to be mixing it with Ferrari this weekend. He says they are getting a bit more out of the chassis, but more the power unit. He says Piastri has been faster here and indeed all season, but just not able to show it, with his two did not starts
Kimi Antonelli on F1 Japanese Grand Prix pole in Mercedes lockout with Russell
Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, completing another dominant display for Mercedes who have yet to be beaten to pole in the three opening races of the new Formula One season.With his Mercedes teammate George Russell in second they also completed the team’s third straight lockout of the front row. Their nearest competitor was McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in third, a good result for the team but he was more than three-10ths of a second behind.Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari with his teammate Lewis Hamilton in sixth. McLaren’s defending world champion, Lando Norris, was in fifth
Reports Sadiq Khan could join Starmer’s cabinet dismissed by allies
Social media has led to a ‘complete rewiring of childhood’, says minister – UK politics live
Cabinet Office to ask Mandelson to provide messages from personal phone
Billy Bragg calls for big turnout at London march against far right
Rachel Reeves urged to raise taxes on companies profiting from war on Iran
PM rejects ‘far-fetched’ scepticism about Morgan McSweeney phone theft