Low-tax Texas opens London office to lure jobs and investment

The US state of Texas is putting UK businesses in its crosshairs with the launch this month of a dedicated London office to lure jobs and investment to the low-tax Lone Star State.Texas recently secured approval for the new site, adding to a growing list of international offices from which it can try to draw corporate heavyweights across its borders.It is the latest sign that Texas lobbyists, led by the office of the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, are widening their economic ambitions beyond American borders, having already had success luring jobs and investment from rival US states including California, Delaware and New York.Lobbyists working in the London office are likely to court UK bosses with incentives including new, fast-track business courts and multimillion dollar subsidies. Texas charges neither corporation nor income tax

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

‘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

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail

A 20-year-old man allegedly tossed a molotov cocktail at the home of Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, before the sun rose on Friday, according to statements from San Francisco police.The suspect, who allegedly threw the fire bomb at the $27m Russian Hill residence around 4.12am, has been arrested but not identified. The same person allegedly threatened to torch OpenAI’s headquarters in the city. No injuries were reported

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

Gout Gout smashes 20-second barrier to set new 200m national record

Teenage sprint phenomenon Gout Gout has smashed his own national 200m record and become the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier in legal conditions as he sprinted to victory in 19.67sec at the athletics championships in Sydney.Aidan Murphy pushed the 18-year-old deep into the straight and finished with the second best 200m time by an Australian of 19.88sec, with a tailwind of +1.7m/s