Record number of homes in Great Britain turn to green energy as fuel prices soar

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.Energy bills are expected to increase by 18% from July – to the equivalent of £1,929 for the typical annual dual-fuel tariff – after Europe’s benchmark gas price rose by about 50%.Octopus Energy, the biggest GB energy supplier, shared figures with the Guardian showing its heat pump orders had more than doubled in March compared with February, while sales of solar power systems were up almost 80% and new leases of electric vehicles rose by more than 85%.The same trend was noted by the sector’s second biggest player, British Gas, which has recorded a 250% increase in solar panel installation inquiries since 28 February

Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London WC2: ‘A rollicking list of cosy British joys’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

The British may not have the most sophisticated palates, but we are adorable in our culinary urgesAs we sit awaiting the beef rib trolley in the Grand Divan dining room at the whoppingly sized Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, we fizz with ideas of how to describe its wildly unfettered quaintness. “It’s all a bit Hogwarts, isn’t it?” I say to my friend Hugh.He’s been four times already, but then, Simpson’s is that kind of place: a handy-as-heck, posh canteen a short stroll from Covent Garden. There’s a twinkly, ye olde cocktail bar upstairs as well as Romano’s with its more European-style menu. But, for now, let’s concentrate on the Grand Divan

Repurposed drug may extend survival in aggressive ovarian cancer, trial shows

A drug originally used to treat a rare disease could extend the lives of patients with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer, according to a clinical trial.Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer occurs when the disease progresses within six months of starting platinum-based chemotherapy. This form of chemotherapy is different from other types because it uses compounds that contain platinum to destroy cancer cells by preventing them from dividing.On average, patients with ovarian cancer that is resistant to this type of chemotherapy are typically expected to survive for only a year after diagnosis, and their treatment options are limited.A study published in the Lancet analysed data from 381 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

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

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.”Moran said he doesn’t use Spotify or put his music on the platform, preferring only to use the site Bandcamp, so this didn’t track

Gout Gout leaves onlookers dumbfounded with record-breaking run drawn from the future | Jack Snape

The sprint sensation was pushed to new heights in the 200m final by an unlikely opponent at the Australian Athletics ChampionshipsIt didn’t look good for Gout Gout. He had started the 200m final at the Australian Athletics Championships relatively well, and was well positioned just off the lead at the start of the straight.But, there – who was that? The man wearing all black, two lanes on the inside. An athlete who appeared to match the global phenomenon step by step just when Gout was expected to pull away.It wasn’t Lachlan Kennedy, the 100m champion who has beaten Gout twice over 200m but who pulled out of this event early on Sunday

The Guide #238: The overlooked underdogs of British ​quiz​shows that are still worth a stream

The quizshow will never die. Nuclear war could rid the earth of all living creatures bar the cockroaches and still, a shiny floored half-hourer hosted by Stephen Mulhern will somehow be airing on the emergency broadcast system. Quizshows have been airing on British screens since 1938, when a televised spelling bee was broadcast on the BBC, and they have remained remarkably resilient. Today they seem a good accompaniment to an era where everyone seems to be tapping away at puzzles on their phone.Scroll down the channel guide of your TV and it won’t be long until you find a quizshow (and that one will almost certainly be The Chase)