New datacentres risk doubling Great Britain’s electricity use, regulator says

The amount of power being sought by new datacentre projects in Great Britain would exceed the national current peak electricity consumption, according to an industry watchdog.Ofgem said about 140 proposed datacentre schemes, driven by use of artificial intelligence, could require 50 gigawatts of electricity – 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand.The figure was revealed in an Ofgem consultation on demand for new connections to the power grid. It pointed to a “surge in demand” for connection applications between November 2024 and June last year, with a significant number coming from datacentres. This has exceeded even the most ambitious forecasts

Australia v India: first women’s cricket one-day international – live

3rd over: Australia 0-17 (Healy 11, Litchfield 4) Healy batting out of her crease to Renuka, looking to cut down swing, and a drive back has a touch of leading edge about it, not far from the bowler’s outstretched hand. Stopped at mid off, though. Then beats the outside edge with one that doesn’t swing, as Healy drives. Then another leading edge! This one goes about 160 degrees around the clock face, skewing through a vacant slip. Healy gets a couple, then lifts a clunky pull shot over square leg for one, just up and other to dink it away

Mandelson’s downfall is one of fastest ever seen in British public life

Just six months ago Peter Mandelson seemed unassailable as the UK’s ambassador to the US, one of the most vaunted positions in British diplomacy. As our man in Washington, Mandelson appeared to have used his skill for schmoozing, learned over years as a cabinet minister and a European commissioner, to secure a good relationship with the tricky Trump administration. He was considered instrumental in securing a relatively favourable US trade deal for the UK.He was also an influential voice in Labour politics with the ear of the prime minister and his inner circle, notably his friend and protege Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s then chief of staff.Mandelson’s arrest on Monday marks one of the quickest and steepest descents ever seen in British public life

Supermarket hot cross bun taste test: Choice gives top score to a chocolate bun

Some might be scandalised by the idea of a hot cross bun containing anything other than fruit. But in the annual taste test of supermarket hot cross buns, consumer advocacy group Choice has awarded one of its highest-ever scores to a less than traditional product.This year Choice tested 15 buns from Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi and Bakers Delight, including traditional fruit, chocolate and gluten-free varieties.Woolworths Bakery Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Made With Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips, which cost 73c a bun, received an overall score of 95%, taking out first place in the chocolate bun category. That is one of the highest scores in Choice’s 10-year history of hot cross bun taste tests

Maxi Shield, beloved Australian drag queen and Drag Race Down Under star, dies aged 51

One of Australia’s best-known and loved drag queens, Sydney’s Maxi Shield, has died after being diagnosed with throat cancer, prompting tributes from around the world.Kristopher Elliot, who performed drag under the name Maxi Shield, was 51. Shield was a mainstay of the Sydney drag scene and brought Australian drag to the world as contestant in season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.Shield revealed she had throat cancer in September, which forced her to step down from performing in a Kath & Kim show at Edinburgh fringe with a fellow Drag Race Down Under season one alum, Art Simone.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailShe returned to performing at the Oxford Hotel and Palms on the gay strip of Oxford Street in Sydney this month, and was set to host a sold-out Mardi Gras viewing party at the Oxford Hotel on Saturday

Kenneth Williams and racist attitudes | Brief letters

While appreciating Kenneth Williams’ humour, I felt uneasy that your article (‘He loved showing his bum. Loved it’: the subversive genius of Kenneth Williams, 20 February) didn’t simply state he had racist attitudes. Referring to a dislike of Sid James and people of colour seems to water down unacceptable views.Catherine UtleyLondon When I can’t sleep because my brain is too busy, I have my own method of “cognitive shufflng” (I tried the latest sleep trick – and my husband and I were up all night, 18 February). I choose a subject and try to think of an example for each letter of the alphabet