British Gas has recorded record half-year profits and people are furious. It reported profits of £969m after price cap rises allowed it to make more money from household bills during the energy crisis. About half of the profit was due to the changes to the price cap made by the energy regulator, it has been reported. Price cap rises were brought in to let energy firms make up for losses when wholesale oil and gas prices spiked during the Ukraine invasion but bills were limited by the price cap, British Gas owner Centrica said. But given they have made more than enough money to compensate, people are raging. Here's how people reacted: Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: "At a time when household energy debt is spiralling to record levels and energy bills remain double what they were just a few years ago, the profits posted will be greeted with disbelief by those struggling through the crisis. "There will of course be questions about how these profits were made, but the reality is that energy firms are operating on a playing field set by the government." Doesn't sound like anyone will be sending British Gas a congratulations card anytime soon... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Despite an impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94 per cent and floods of gushing reviews, it seems Oppenheimer may contain a historical error. The real-life grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist and the 'godfather of the atomic bomb', has spoken out about a "serious accusation" in the film towards his grandfather. Oppenheimer filmmaker Christopher Nolan based the script on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It went on to win a Pulitzer Prize. Charles Oppenheimer acknowledged that he found himself "accepting and liking" the film, but called one detail inaccurate. "The part I like the least is this poison apple reference, which was a problem in American Prometheus," he told TIME. "If you read American Prometheus carefully enough, the authors say, 'We don't really know if it happened.'" He was referring to the scene at the start, in which Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) leaves a poisoned apple out and a visiting scientist nearly bites into it. "There's no record of him trying to kill somebody," he told the publication. "That's a really serious accusation and it's historical revision. There's not a single enemy or friend of Robert Oppenheimer who heard that during his life and considered it to be true." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It comes after cinema fanatics declare "the return of film" this summer with a string of hotly anticipated releases. In fact, Barbie and Oppenheimer performed so well at cinemas this weekend (21 July) across the UK that Vue International said they sold the most amount of tickets since the pandemic. Tim Richards, chief executive and founder of Vue International, said: “Vue saw its highest weekend admissions since Avengers: Endgame in 2019 with the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, proving that when the movies are there our customers will come to watch them on the big screen. “Barbie is tracking to become the biggest film of 2023 and has a good chance of getting into the Top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. “It is an incredibly exciting moment for the industry, and we expect this trend to continue for the coming weeks.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A bizarre Zillow listing has cropped up online, which reportedly shows a neighbourhood of 35 houses for sale. The listing was picked up by Sierra (@sierrakatherinee) who later shared her findings on TikTok. The description shared that all of the homes are "fully occupied" with "some under-valued rents and significant capital appreciation opportunity." Sierra went on to express her concerns for the families living in the neighbourhood. "I would just love for the people living in these 35 homes to have like support and resources from the city to be able to buy their homes, instead of their entire neighbourhood being for sale," she told viewers. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The listing in Cobbs Creek, West Philidelphia was first shared on Compass last month and is worth just $7 million. The estate agent told Daily Dot: "Just a seller who owns 35 properties and he is selling them, across a couple of neighbourhoods." @sierrakatherinee My Spidey senses are tingling. What dk yall think about selling entire neighborhoods? #philadelphiarealestate #zillowfinds #philly #buytheblock The clip was soon flooded with comments from fellow TikTokers, hoping that an affluent person would snap the neighbourhood up and do a good deed. "This is a perfect opportunity for the Philly celebswho claim they’re for the community to make a huge difference," one person wrote, while another added: "Putting this energy out there: Some rich person should buy it & just sign the deeds over to those living in the homes right now." "If I had won that lotto I would have bought it then gave it back," a third added, to which Sierra responded: "I would love to do that for so many people and families!" Meanwhile, one TikToker expressed how, she too, felt "nervous" about one small detail. "Agree the "undervalue rents" makes me very nervous for the current residents," she wrote. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

By now you are probably aware that the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has been a massive success at the box office, smashing all kinds of records and reducing men to nervous wrecks. Yes, the inevitable has happened where a pro-female movie has angered so many men that they just have to tell everyone about how much a movie about a doll upset them. We've had the likes of Piers Morgan and plenty of men on IMDB but one man who has made it his personal mission to tell the world how much he hated Barbie is Ben Shapiro. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The outspoken conservative commentator first spoke out against Greta Gerwig's widely acclaimed film on Saturday in a 43-minute rant on YouTube where he called the film a "s**tshow" and one of the "worst movies ever." He also burned a Barbie and Ken doll. The 39-year-old, who mostly objected to the "smug" message of the film was promptly roasted for his scorching hot take and as a result felt compelled to make another video about how badly he was treated because of his views. In the second view shared on Tuesday, titled "Barbie Is Garbage, But You’re Not Allowed To Say So," Shapiro spent 20 minutes of a 1-hour video talking about the reaction to his reaction to the movie. Barbie Is Garbage, But You’re Not Allowed To Say So www.youtube.com At one point Shapiro said the reaction to him burning the Barbie dolls was similar to the reaction of someone burning a copy of the Quran in Sweden. Elsewhere he attacked Gerwig for promoting a new religious worldview and for the movie for pushing "left-wing propaganda." These are all valid points if you subscribe to Shapiro's politics but he wasn't done there. In a third video, Shapiro collaborated with a regular contributor of his and fellow conservative commentator Brett Cooper, who did enjoy the movie. This debate is for 30 minutes and if you enjoy this sort of format for a video then they both make valid point depending on how much you enjoyed the movie. Ben Shapiro and Brett Cooper Debate Barbie for 30 Minutes www.youtube.com At this point, Shapiro has spoken about Barbie for 93 minutes on YouTube and presumably longer elsewhere in edits that didn't make the cut. If he makes another 30 minute video on the film he'll have spoken about it longer than the actual length of Barbie, which is quite an achievement. That being said his original view of Barbie has been viewed more than 1.7 million times so something is clearly working for him. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A fan's teenage dream of meeting Zayn Malik came true years later after they starred in his latest music video as his love interest. Grace Dumdaw (@grumdaw), an actor and musician (who uses they/she/he pronouns), took to TikTok to reveal how they were previously a "deranged" fangirl back in Malik's One Direction days. “POV: You went from being a deranged fangirl at 15 to being Malik’s lead love interest in his MV [music video] and getting posted on his IG [Instagram]," the on-screen text read. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Dumdaw even revealed some of the tweets they posted about Malik back in 2014 during their teen years - with one including: "I would kill my family to touch Zayn." Well, Dumdaw did not have to reach those extreme lengths as nearly nine years later they appeared in Zayn's music video for his new single "Love Like This," where the two kissed. Revealing more details about the process, Dumdaw also noted in the caption that they did not audition for the role as the director reached out directly. "Fun fact, I didn't even audition for this. the directors had been keeping an eye on me & reached out directly you never know who’s watching— dream big, work hard, & put yourself out there," they wrote. @grumdaw fun fact, i didnt even audition for this. the directors had been keeping an eye on me & reached out directly ? you never know who’s watching— dream big, work hard, & put yourself out there ? #zaynmalik #lovelikethis #zayn #zsquad #actor Since sharing this video Grumdaw has received 4.9m views, 631,000 likes and thousands of comments from people who wanted to know more. One person said: "THE DIRECTOR REACHED OUT TO YOUUU?!!!!! GURRRLLLL YOU LIVING A WATTPAD STORY." "Need your manifestation routine," another person said. To which they replied: "I have an absurd amount of people praying for me and rooting for me, esp back home in Myanmar & Kachin." Someone else added: "How does it feel to live my dream." "Specifically loved the representation seeing an Asian girlie get chosen for this I'm so happy for u," a fourth person commented. In a follow-up TikTok, Grumdaw shared a video of themselves a day after being cast for the music video as they were "processing [their] emotions" at dinner. "I can't believe this is my life…. I delusioned my way into becoming Y/N. so grateful for this life & everyone supporting me," they added in the caption. Elsewhere, Zayn Malik finally speaks out on the infamous 2021 incident with Yolanda Hadid and fans can't get over how strong Zayn Malik's accent is after six years of no interviews. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

TikTok sensation and student gymnast Olivia Dunne has spoken about the impact fame has had on her everyday life, saying that it’s no longer safe for her to attend university classes. The viral star from Louisiana State University (LSU) has taken TikTok by storm over recent years, but it’s not always been easy for her to prioritise her safety. Dunne has been competing as a gymnast since 2014. She became a member of the US National Gymnastics Team in 2017. However, she has now revealed that she can no longer attend her LSU classes in person due to potential threats. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Speaking to Elle, Dunne said: “There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible. I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am.” It’s not the first time concerns have been raised. Dunne faced a rowdy mob of young men while competing at the University of Utah earlier this year. Sources said the group of young men disrupted the competition, screaming “put Livvy in” to the point that security had to be called, according to Slate. The crazed fans made enough of an impact that LSU’s head coach, Jay Clark, said they’d be adding “security detail” when the team goes on the road. "We will be working to create a perimeter around where we get on the bus, where we load," Clark said according to TMZ. "I take our team's safety and security very seriously." Dunne took to Twitter on 8 January asking fans to "be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community." “I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job,” she wrote. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Michael Cera's Allan in Barbie has certainly made a mark, with resales of the discontinued doll reaching hundreds of dollars. In the film that broke records over the weekend, "Just Allan" plays a lonesome sidekick who instantly became a hit with viewers. One cinema-goer poignantly shared how Cera's character shows "how outnumbered the Allans of the world are. There was only one of him and thousands of Kens." TikToker Gigi continued: "I feel like that would be how it feels for a nice guy to live in this current world. The guy that is genuine but gets overlooked or questioned because his behaviours seem too good to be true, in a world that's outnumbered by Kens." Well now, Allan dolls are cropping back up years later after being discontinued, with thanks to Barbie no doubt. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter According to TMZ, most Allan dolls were retailing for around $35-$76 last week. Fast forward to this week, and some eBay listings are reaching at least $150. One is even selling at $500. Allan was first released as Ken's best friend back in 1964. His selling point was that he could fit into all of Ken's clothes, according to History. However, he was later discontinued with rumours that he and Ken appeared too close. Allan was later re-released, dropping one 'l' from his name as Alan, and reintroduced as Midge's husband (a pregnant Barbie doll) in the 90s. Cera has since opened up about his character, saying: "Allan is sort of like a person without a group that he belongs to, he’s kind of a loner, in a way." He continued: "I think the joke about that, at least how I interpret it, is that Allan the doll ... didn’t have a very successful run. [He’s] sort of this marginalised person in this world of Kens.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

With the release of the Barbie movie, different places around the world have been getting pink makeovers - including the Burj Khalifa. In a 12-second clip that has gone viral, stands a huge Barbie doll next to the world's tallest building located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The larger-than-life doll can be seen sporting an outfit that directly references her 1959 debut - wearing a striped romper with her blonde locks in a ponytail (which is also an outfit Margot Robbie wore in the film too). Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter During the video, Barbie stood inside her very own hot pink box and then broke through the plastic cover to step out onto the city street. The CGI clip was posted by boutique creative agency, Eye Studio (@eyestudioae) and took around three days to make, using footage of the Burj Khalifa shot from an iPhone, before the big 3D Barbie was superimposed into the video. "As a social media agency, we're always thinking about what's trending, and everyone is currently talking about Barbie," Juhi Rupani, Eye Studio's creative director told The National. "So we thought of doing something around an iconic product and putting her next to the most iconic landmark in Dubai." After deciding on the concept, 3D generalist Neal Santos, and junior art director, Taha Dungerwala helped to make the vision come alive. "The first thing that crossed our mind while making it was we kind of wanted to pay homage to the beginning and stay close to how the very first Barbie doll ever created looked back in 1959," they told the same publication. "When it came to location, after going back and forth we decided nothing beats the Burj Khalifa." Meanwhile, Barbie is the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman, with the Greta Gerwig film making $356m (£276m) around the world opening weekend. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Artificial intelligence has struck again, and this time, it's somehow got the internet obsessing over a jet-setting influencer who doesn't even exist. Milla Sofia is a 19-year-old "robot girl" from Helsinki who works as a fashion model and now boasts over 30,000 followers on Instagram. Her page showcases hyper-realistic selfies and photo montages of her travels across the world, including the likes of Paris, Australia and Santorini. "I bring an unparalleled and futuristic perspective to the realm of style," her creator wrote on her website. "Whether it's the catwalk or the digital landscape, my passion lies in showcasing the latest trends and pushing the boundaries in the ever-evolving fashion industry." Disturbingly, her posts are often flooded with comments from thirsty men who have either not figured out Milla's AI-generated, or simply have no shame. "Well you look fabulous wearing anything as well as nothing I’m sure. Your a beautiful young woman," one man wrote, while another gushed: "Beautiful lady. Your eyes dreams colour, your hair colour and your dress colour are beautiful." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "There's a perfect woman," a third added, which prompted one person to quip back: "All these dumb people that think she is real. Actually terrifying how disconnected you all are from reality." It comes after socially starved cryptobros fork out thousands for NFT girlfriends, which are essentially inanimate digital paintings costing up to $100,000. One man, a self-proclaimed "digital pimp", was initially attracted to the idea of "owning his very own exclusive girlfriend" who he can spend quality time with whenever he wanted. "I got a printout of the NFT which I display on my wall, right above where I work as a reminder of what a great purchase she was," he explained. In what he described as a "weird concept", Jake confessed that his involvement with NFT girlfriends made him feel like a "pimp" following the motto of: "If you want my girl, you've got to pay!" Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A dedicated dad has gone viral for dressing up in a pink leotard and tutu to take his young daughter to see ‘Barbie’ at the cinema. Eleazar Rodríguez Hernández took his daughter to see the hit film starring Margot Robbie on its opening weekend. He explained: “My daughter said ‘Daddy take me to the premiere of Barbie, but wear something pink or are you too embarrassed?’” He added: “I think the one who's going to be embarrassed is her!” In the images, Rodríguez is seen sporting a pink leotard and white tutu along with a broad grin. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter He completes the outfit with a cowboy hat and boots. Rodríguez took his daughter to see Barbie at the Cinépolis cinema in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, México, on 21 July. In one photo, the proud dad is seen buying entry tickets at the counter in his special outfit. He accompanied the image with the mock conversation: “What movie do you want to see? “The Super Mario Bros Movie, idiot!” Rodríguez said: “I made these posts without wanting to highlight myself, I just did what my daughter wanted. “I would do anything for her. “She was so happy. “Believe me, wearing pink clothes and a tutu does not make you any less of a man.” Photos of Rodríguez and his daughter have gone viral on Facebook with thousands of shares and comments. One local said: “These are the moments your daughter will remember most! I know because I carry in my heart everything my dad did in my childhood to make me happy.” Andy commented: “You are a f***ing crack... A f***ing hero without a cape... You are the boss of bosses!” Licia wrote: “That's a great father who does everything for his daughter. Blessings.” Enit remarked: “What a beautiful memory for his daughter. She will treasure that so much in the future. He's a dad worth millions.” Jesús said: “I want to be like you when I grow up.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

By Liliana Salgado PHOENIX Arizona's saguaro cacti, a symbol of the U.S. West, are leaning, losing arms and

There’s a Google Doodle game for practically everything, from garden gnomes and ‘Doctor Who’ to magic cats and boba.