Give all UK households a set amount of subsidised energy, says thinktank

In order to cut rising bills all UK households should receive a minimum amount of energy at rates subsidised by the government through North Sea taxes, a thinktank has suggested.Providing all homes with enough energy to heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances such as a fridge and washing machine, at rates frozen at current levels, would require a subsidy of about £4.5bn, according to the New Economics Foundation.That is roughly equal to the expected windfall in tax revenues from the North Sea, generated by the bonanza oil and gas companies are enjoying from the high price of oil.Although oil prices, sent soaring by the Iran war, have abated on the announcement of a ceasefire by the US president, Donald Trump, they are still higher than before the conflict and could remain volatile as supplies through the strait of Hormuz may take some time to get back to normal

Oil prices plunge and stocks jump after Trump announces conditional ceasefire with Iran

Oil prices tumbled on Wednesday and global stock markets rallied after the US and Iran agreed a two-week conditional ceasefire.Investors welcomed the news that Donald Trump had held off on his threat to bomb Iran into “the stone ages”, while Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said passage through the strait of Hormuz would be allowed for the next two weeks under the management of Iran’s military. Wall Street recorded its biggest single-day rally in a year.Oil fell below the $100-a-barrel mark, even though it was not certain that the US would accept a 10-point proposal drawn up by Iran. How the strait will be reopened and managed beyond the two-week grace period is yet to be determined

The life-changing magic of wearing smartglasses | Letters

I read with sympathy the concerns of Elle Hunt in relation to privacy issues around Meta smartglasses (I wore Meta’s smartglasses for a month – and it left me feeling like a creep, 1 April). Clearly there needs to be ongoing development of technology and protocols that protect the public from ill-intentioned users. As the chief executive of a charity supporting people with a visual impairment, however, I would like to emphasise the point touched upon in your article: how transformative this technology is already proving for blind people.We are seeing significant numbers of our visually impaired staff and clients using Meta glasses in conjunction with their mobile phones to improve their ability to perform ordinary functions that most of us take for granted. A visual impairment can be disempowering and isolating

Tell us: do you use AI chatbots to make decisions for you?

AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are now a part of everyday life.More and more people are using them to help make decisions in their lives, like sending text messages, deciding what to cook, or navigating relationships.We want to hear about your experiences of using chatbots. Are you addicted to them? And what type of decisions are you using them for?You can tell us your experiences of using chatbots using this form.Please include as much detail as possible

Rahm stands out as Masters favourite as Augusta adjusts to post-Tiger world

Spaniard is seeking his second Green Jacket at first Masters since 1994 without Tiger Woods or Phil MickelsonHalf a mile from the gates of Augusta National, at the foot of Washington Road, sits a keyboard and piano store. It closes on Masters week every year. “Spring has sprung and so have we,” reads a sign in the forecourt. Clearly there is insufficient correlation between golf fans and those with a tendency to tinkle the ivories (or similar) for the business to remain open.Masters mania is not for everyone

England full-back George Furbank heads for Harlequins in lucrative switch

Underperforming Harlequins have confirmed the signing of England’s full-back George Furbank as they seek to rebuild their squad for next season.The 29-year-old Furbank has been an influential figure at Northampton, the league leaders, but a lucrative contract offer has persuaded him to try his luck in south-west London.While Furbank has been sidelined through injury for lengthy chunks of the past two years, he remains a ­quality operator with 14 ­international caps who looks certain to be a ­member of England’s World Cup squad. Quins, second-bottom of the 10-team Prem, will be hoping he can have an ­immediate impact on their fortunes.“I have been at Saints since I was 14-15 years old so it will be a different challenge, but I am keen to step out of my comfort zone,” he said