Labour still faces risks on energy despite ‘record’ wind power auction | Nils Pratley

The government has defied gloomy price expectations for its latest auction for offshore wind capacity. The worry a few months ago was that bill payers would be forced to pay more than £100 a megawatt hour (MWh) via contracts that give developers guaranteed prices for their electricity output. In the event, winning projects landed at roughly £91/MWh.Cue some forgivable crowing from Ed Miliband, the energy secretary. “A monumental step towards clean power by 2030,” he declared

Trump hits back at JP Morgan CEO’s defence of Federal Reserve

Donald Trump has hit out at the JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon, saying the Wall Street executive was wrong to suggest he was undermining the independence of the Federal Reserve.The US president and his administration have come under fire for their attacks on the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, who is facing a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice over alleged “abuse of taxpayer dollars” linked to renovations to the central bank’s headquarters in Washington.Powell has suggested the allegations are baseless and merely a punishment for not cutting interest rates as fast as Trump would like. Central bankers and chief executives have since started rallying around the Fed, raising concerns about political interference in monetary policy.However, Trump defended his campaign against Powell on Tuesday, saying: “I think it’s fine what I’m doing

My work went from air-conditioned offices to delivering food on a bike. The culture shock is significant | David Rayfield

At first I didn’t realise I’d been punched. I’m not sure why my brain assumed a bird had flown into me, but I suppose a magpie attack was more likely than a random bloke lashing out at my ribcage, so it took a second to realise what was happening.I was on my bike, waiting in a sidestreet for traffic to clear. The punch came from behind and by the time my mouth let fly a few expletives, the culprit was leaving. Then he caught wind of my colourful language and turned back to get in my face

Young people, parents and teachers: share your views about Grok AI

Degrading images of real women and children with their clothes digitally removed by Elon Musk’s Grok tool continue to be shared online, despite widespread alarm and a pledge by the platform to suspend users who generate them.While some safeguards have been introduced, the ease with which the AI tool can be abused has raised urgent questions about consent, online safety and the ability of governments worldwide to regulate fast-moving AI technologies. Meanwhile, the misuse of AI to harass, humiliate and sexually exploit people – particularly women and girls – is rapidly escalating.We’d like to hear from young people, parents and teachers about how tools like Grok are affecting you. Are young people aware of how easily these images can be created? If you’re a parent, has this changed how you talk to your children about social media, consent or online safety? If you’re a teacher or work with young people, have you noticed an impact in classrooms or among students? Do you have concerns?You can share your views on Grok and other AI tools using this form

England seek new head coach for Rugby League World Cup after Shaun Wane leaves

Shaun Wane has left his position as England head coach with immediate effect, the Guardian can reveal, leaving the national team on the hunt for a replacement for the Rugby League World Cup later this year.Wane oversaw England’s 3-0 Ashes defeat against Australia last autumn but insisted in the aftermath of that series that he was keen to continue and rebuild going into the World Cup in the southern hemisphere this year.However, the Guardian has learned this will now not be the case. Wane held discussions with the Rugby Football League this week about his future and those decisions have reached a conclusion, with it decided that the national team will go in a new direction for the World Cup.Wane had insisted previously that he felt he was the right man to take England into the World Cup this year, saying: “I don’t believe – I know I am

What Australian sport can learn from queer ice hockey hit Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry, the viral queer ice hockey romcom that hit our screens in November, might be doing more than just capturing hearts and winning over hockey fans. With increased attendance at NHL games in North America and interest in the sport in Australia spiking, the power of inclusive and diverse storytelling in a sport setting is showing the industry a new playbook.Based on a book series by the Nova Scotian romance author Rachel Reid, the rivals-to-lovers tale of two fictional ice hockey players – Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov – explores queer love and acceptance in men’s professional sport.Written by an ice hockey fan uncomfortable with the hypermasculine attitude that often pervades the sport, Heated Rivalry has not only become one of the most talked about television events of the year, but demonstrates popular culture’s power to drive change.Men’s professional sport is often dominated by a culture of hypermasculinity and homophobia is rife, with very few male athletes choosing to come out, even in retirement