UK, Germany and Italy ‘working together’ to navigate commercial shipping through strait of Hormuz - as it happened
Time to wrap up…Saudi Arabia’s state oil company has warned of “catastrophic consequences” for the world’s oil markets if the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to block shipping in the strait of Hormuz.The world’s biggest oil company expects to be able to export about 70% of its usual crude output despite the stranglehold on the vital trade artery, but its chief executive warned that there would still be “drastic” consequences for the world economy if the disruption continues.Oil prices have tumbled from four-year highs, capping an extraordinary 24 hours in global markets and prompting global stocks to rebound after Donald Trump suggested the US-Israel war on Iran could end “very soon”.The FTSE 100 opened higher on Tuesday, following an overnight rally in Asia, which has been one of the most exposed regions to higher energy prices.Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is to shed 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade, as it faces falling sales in China and North America and punitive US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump
Trump’s re-election may have helped Albanese – but the US war in Iran is creating economic conundrums
Donald Trump’s re-election helped Anthony Albanese win a landslide election, but now threatens to derail his second term of government, with the Labor government’s fortunes increasingly tethered to the US president’s policy agenda.Trump’s Middle East incursion triggered a huge spike in energy costs, propelling oil prices to their highest level in four years, as fears of a prolonged regional conflict took hold.An elevated oil price is a major global inflation trigger, given it drives up costs across goods and services in the economy, pushing central banks, including in Australia, to consider rate hikes to keep a lid on inflation.The resurgence of Australian inflation, already a factor before the Middle East conflict, now risks intensifying, creating a problem for the incumbent government.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailIf interest rates move higher, as expected, many voters will be paying increased mortgage rates at the same time as they face elevated prices for everything from fuel to food
Cathay Pacific offers £20,000 Sydney-London flight amid disruption in Gulf
The Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific is selling seats from Sydney to London for more than £20,000 in April, as passengers search for scarce long-haul flights without changing in the Middle East.The tickets, listed at A$39,577 in business class for returns departing in mid-April, far outstrip the usual fares charged even in the first-class cabin.Travellers on routes around the world have had to look for different options after the US-Israel war on Iran closed critical airspace and airport hubs in the Middle East.A large proportion of UK-Australia traffic connects in the Gulf, travelling on airlines including Dubai-based Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad and Qatar Airways out of Doha. The three biggest carriers have now restarted limited operations at a fraction of normal schedules, and hundreds of thousands of travellers have had their flights cancelled over 10 days of full or partial airspace closure in countries near Iran
Crispin Odey was described as ‘sex pest’ by head of his hedge fund, court hears
The multimillionaire financier Crispin Odey was described by the head of his hedge fund as a “sex pest” and blamed an incident in which he allegedly groped a female staff member’s breasts on a sedative he had taken, a tribunal has heard.The Brexit-backing hedge fund chief’s behaviour came under the microscope on the first day of a lawsuit he has brought against the financial services regulator over his exile from the City.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Odey £1.8m and banned him from the financial services industry last year, finding that he had displayed a “lack of integrity” by attempting to frustrate an investigation by his own hedge fund into allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies.Odey had already launched a £79m libel claim against the Financial Times, which first published claims about his behaviour towards junior female staff
VW to cut 50,000 jobs by 2030 amid Trump tariffs and falling Chinese sales
Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is to shed 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade, as it faces falling sales in China and North America and punitive US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.The 10-brand group, whose luxury subsidiaries Porsche and Audi are also under pressure, said the jobs would go in Germany, affecting the entire group, as part of a restructuring drive amid the darkening global business climate.The group had already struck a deal with German trade unions at the end of 2024 to cut 35,000 jobs by 2030, in part by natural attrition through retirement and other staff departures.Volkswagen revealed the updated plans as it announced a 54% drop in pre-tax profits. The group has been scaling back its targets for electric vehicle (EV) production in recent months, including at its Italian supercar manufacturer, Lamborghini
Oil prices fall and stocks rebound after Trump says Iran war could end ‘very soon’
Oil prices have tumbled from four-year highs, capping an extraordinary 24 hours in global markets and prompting global stocks to rebound after Donald Trump suggested the US-Israel war on Iran could end “very soon”.Brent crude, the international benchmark, surged as high as $119.50 a barrel on Monday as the Middle East conflict intensified fears of a deepening energy supply crisis.Trump sought to play down this remarkable increase, claiming that oil prices had risen “probably less than I thought they’d go up”, while moving swiftly to reassure investors.Brent fell to about $91
‘Vicious cycle’: panic buying is biggest risk to Australia’s petrol supplies, experts say
Regional service stations are struggling to replenish fuel supplies left empty by panic buying that has seen demand double and even triple in areas like the Barossa and Mildura amid an escalating Middle East conflict.As a leading motoring group warned of a “vicious cycle” of motorists stockpiling petrol, Chris Bowen, the energy minister, stood up in parliament to urge Australians to remain calm, insisting the nation did not have a shortage of fuel supplies.Amid reports of country service stations running dry, some regional fuel distributors have claimed the shortage is due to wholesale petrol being reserved for sale in the big cities.“The biggest risk to availability in Australia right now is panic buying,” Bowen said, pointing to a “massive spike” in demand that had seen fuel sales up by 238% in the Adelaide Hills and Barossa, and 100% in Victoria’s Mildura.“Of course providers also find difficulty in meeting the demand
Qantas hikes international air fares citing volatile oil prices from war in Middle East
Qantas has announced it is increasing the price of its international air fares amid oil price volatility caused by the war in the Middle East, while the airline also reported higher-than-normal ticket sales for flights to Europe.While the company hedges against change in jet fuel prices, it was not fully covered for the spike seen in the wake of surging oil prices, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.Qantas’s price hikes will differ in extent across its international routes, the spokesperson said, but did not provide further detail.The conflict, catalysed by the US-Israel strike on Iran in late February, has disrupted flights around the world with major airports and airspaces affected across the Middle East – including Dubai, among the busiest international airports in the world and the official stopover for Emirates.Qantas, which does not fly to the Middle East, has continued to operate flights as scheduled and reported seats rapidly filling up as some passengers from affected carriers rebook through the Australian airline
Why has the Iran war sparked fears of stagflation for the global economy?
Oil prices surged on Monday, triggering a stark sell-off across some of the world’s leading stock markets amid growing concern that the US-Israel war on Iran could set the stage for a global economic shock.While they fell back on Tuesday after Donald Trump suggested the Middle East conflict could end “very soon”, oil continues to trade at high levels.The war has caused an energy supply crisis that could risk driving up inflation and interest rates, according to economists, who believe growth is set to weaken while prices rise. Fears of stagflation – where economic activity stagnates, but inflation increases – loom large.Here’s what you need to know
US stock markets close on high after Iran war drove oil prices above $100 a barrel
US stock markets closed on a high after oil prices swung wildly on Monday, reaching a four-year high in the morning that rattled Asian and European markets before settling down once Donald Trump said the US-Israel war with Iran is “very complete”.After surging past $100 a barrel on Monday morning, oil prices came down to $85 a barrel by the time that US stock markets closed in the afternoon. US stocks leaped at a report from a CBS News reporter that Trump thinks “the war is very complete, pretty much” because “they have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force”.The Dow closed at a 230-point jump, while the S&P and Nasdaq closed at 0.83% and 1
We may not be running out of gas but we still need a serious strategic gas reserve | Nils Pratley
Alarmed that Great Britain has only enough gas in storage to cover two days of consumption? Actually, Michael Shanks, the energy minister, is right that the bald statistic is not a reason to run for the hills. But he would help his case if he admitted that the long era of running a “just-in-time” approach to gas supplies looks increasingly unworkable.Shanks is obviously correct that Great Britain does not source its supplies from storage. About 75% of our gas comes from the North Sea – from domestic fields and via the 725-mile underwater Langeled pipeline from Norway – and neither source is affected by the war in Iran.As for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), typically about 18% of supplies today, the market is disrupted now that Qatar, about a fifth of the global market, is not producing
Golf club firm owned by Trump’s sons merges with drone manufacturer
A golf club company backed by the sons of Donald Trump is merging with drone manufacturer Powerus in a deal designed to take the drone technology company public.The merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings is the latest in Eric and Donald Trump Jr’s growing investments in the drone sector, following last month’s $1.5bn tie-up between Israeli drone maker XTEND and Florida-based JFB Construction Holdings. Drones have become a major procurement priority for the Pentagon and are widely used in Ukraine, where dense air defense systems near the frontlines limit the deployment of conventional aircraft.This growing reliance has also drawn significant Silicon Valley funding into drone and military artificial intelligence startups, boosting valuations of US companies such as Anduril Industries and Shield AI
Fifty years of sexing up tech: Apple’s epic hits – and misses
Thousands of authors publish ‘empty’ book in protest over AI using their work
X suspends 800m accounts in one year amid ‘massive’ scale of manipulation attempts
AI firm Anthropic sues US defense department over blacklisting
From press release … to scrap metal site: the Essex ‘supercomputer’ that’s still a scaffolding yard
Revealed: UK’s multibillion AI drive is built on ‘phantom investments’
OpenAI delays ‘adult mode’ for ChatGPT to focus on work of higher priority
Liverpool and Manchester United complain to X over ‘sickening’ Grok AI posts
How AI firm Anthropic wound up in the Pentagon’s crosshairs
AI allows hackers to identify anonymous social media accounts, study finds
ChatGPT driving rise in reports of ‘satanic’ organised and ritual abuse, UK experts say
Current and former Block workers say AI can’t do their jobs after Jack Dorsey’s mass layoffs: ‘You can’t really AI that’
Aramco warns of oil market ‘catastrophe’ unless strait of Hormuz reopens soon
Saudi Arabia’s state oil company has warned of “catastrophic consequences” for the world’s oil markets if the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to block shipping in the strait of Hormuz.The world’s biggest oil exporter expects to be able to supply the market with about 70% of its usual crude output despite the stranglehold on the vital trade artery, but its chief executive warned that there would still be “drastic” consequences for the world economy if the disruption continued.Oil shipments from the Middle East have been blocked from passing through the narrow waterway since the US strikes on Iran 11 days ago, erasing about 20m barrels of oil from the global market every day.Despite the warning, oil prices fell on Tuesday after Donald Trump suggested the war could end “very soon”.The price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark, was down 14% on Tuesday evening, at about $85
Time for UK regulators to act against Saba Capital’s siege tactics | Nils Pratley
A year ago, the sometimes sleepy world of UK investment trusts – companies that invest in other companies – had a moment of genuine drama. A loud New York raider, Boaz Weinstein of hedge fund Saba Capital, bought significant stakes in seven trusts and lobbed insults at their boards, generally about poor investment performance or a failure to close the gap between the value of the assets and the share price.For all the fireworks, the campaign was a flop. Saba filed a variety of shake-’em-up motions at what it called the “Miserable Seven” and lost the lot. A 7-0 defeat, you’d think, would prompt Weinstein to slink away in embarrassment but, as quickly became clear, that’s not his style
Musk’s xAI wins permit for datacenter’s makeshift power plant despite backlash
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI won approval on Tuesday to run 41 methane gas turbines at its “Colossus 2” datacenter in northern Mississippi. That’s nearly double the amount it has been operating.The turbines will help power xAI’s massive datacenters, which house the company’s “AI supercomputers”, or giant arrays of advanced chips, which in turn power the controversial AI tool Grok, the company’s most recognizable product.The decision, made by the Mississippi department of environmental quality, MDEQ, comes amid major public opposition to the datacenter, which demands enormous amounts of electricity. Community members and environmental advocates say the cluster of gas generators will contribute to hazardous air pollution in Southaven, Mississippi
UK Society of Authors launches logo to identify books written by humans not AI
The Society of Authors (SoA) has launched a scheme to help identify works written by humans in a market increasingly flooded by AI-generated books.The scheme is the first of its kind launched by a UK trade association, and allows authors to register their books and download a “Human Authored” logo to display on their back cover.The SoA said the absence of any government measure to compel tech companies to label AI-generated output meant readers were struggling to distinguish between books written by a human, and machine-generated work based on AI models trained on copyrighted work without permission or payment.It mirrors a similar scheme launched by the Authors Guild in the US at the beginning of 2025.Mary Beard, the classicist, is one of several high-profile authors who have backed the scheme and plan to register their works on the Human Authored website
Michael Johnson accused of taking $500,000 from debt-ridden track league
Michael Johnson has been accused of paying himself $500,000 (£372,000) eight days before his Grand Slam Track project collapsed before the final event in Los Angeles, leaving athletes and creditors owed millions. The claim is made by vendors in a legal filing in which they have also sought permission to sue individual leaders of GST, including Johnson and the main investor, Winners Alliance.When GST was launched Johnson promised it would “bring fantasy to life” and transform athletics – with track’s biggest stars facing off regularly against each other for huge prize money. But the writing was on the wall after the first event in Jamaica last April was sparsely attended, and it collapsed shortly after its third event in Philadelphia on 1 June.The filing, at the US bankruptcy court for the district of Delaware, also shows that Johnson was owed $2
‘Stupid money’ well spent: Lossiemouth saunters to Champion Hurdle win
There was a definite tremor in the voice of Rich Ricci, belying the image of the hard-nosed former banker, after his grey mare, Lossiemouth, had galloped to an authoritative success in the Champion Hurdle here on Tuesday. “It’s a privilege to have a horse like this,” Ricci said. “This game continues to excite me, to entice me and to make me spend stupid money.”The accountant in Ricci had probably been telling him to stick to a tried-and-trusted path at the festival as he and Willie Mullins, Lossiemouth’s trainer, were deciding last week whether to attempt a third straight win in the Mares’ Hurdle on Thursday, or roll the dice in the main event two days earlier.The gambler prevailed, however, putting a hugely popular seal on the festival’s opening day as Lossiemouth, the 7-5 favourite came home six and a half lengths clear of Brighterdaysahead (7-2), with The New Lion, at 3-1, another half-length away in third
Hereditary peers to lose their seats in the House of Lords
Hereditary peerages will be abolished before the next king’s speech after a deal was struck granting life peerages to some Conservatives and cross-benchers losing their seats.On Tuesday evening the upper chamber accepted a final draft of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill, marking the end of its passage through parliament and clearing the way for it to be added to the statute book.The Lords leader, Angela Smith, confirmed the government would offer life peerages to some of those who would otherwise lose their seats. As a result, the Tories withdrew their opposition to the bill.Since 1999, up to 92 hereditary peers have been able to sit in the upper house and cast their votes in the lobbies but the bill effectively reduces this quota to zero
UK digital ID scheme to have limited use before next general election, minister says
Britain’s £1.8bn digital ID scheme will only be available for a handful of uses by the next election, including paying vehicle tax and right-to-work checks, the minister in charge of the project has said.Darren Jones, the prime minister’s chief secretary, said on Tuesday he eventually wanted the app to be used for everything from claiming benefits to proving the right to vote, but that most of this would not happen until the next parliament.Launching the government’s consultation on the project, Jones admitted its initial use would be relatively limited despite costing as much annually as the Cabinet Office’s entire budget last year.He said: “There will be some simple things that will come forward by the end of the parliament: maybe tax disc payments; some administrative tasks; the right-to-work check will be available if you want to use it from 2029
Chefs the world over strive for a perfect score from Rate My Chives. Could I achieve one at home?
My goal: a perfect 10 from Rate My Chives, the ‘number one authority on chives worldwide’. Why is this so hard?Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailChopping chives, I notice my weak wrists for the first time. My knife is connected to my hand which is connected to my wrist, which is flopping about like an overcooked piece of asparagus.“You’ve got to keep them more sturdy,” says chef Trisha Greentree. “Lock in that line
What’s the secret to crisp-skinned fish? | Kitchen aide
When I fry fish, the skin never goes crisp, and instead either sticks, rips or goes limp. What am I doing wrong?Emily, by email “The secret to perfectly crisp fish skin is heat,” says Mitch Tonks, founder of Rockfish in south-west England. Well, heat plus a little bit of prep. Fish are, of course, moist things, and moisture is the enemy in the quest for that golden-brown crust, so the first thing Emily is going to need to do is dry that skin out. “If the fish has any moisture on it, it will create steam while it’s being cooked, which, in turn, will make the skin go soggy and inedible, rather than crisp and delicious,” says British fish guru Nathan Outlaw, whose latest book, On Fish: A Seafood Handbook, is published next month
Rapper Lil’ Kim to headline both Vivid Sydney and Melbourne’s 2026 Rising festival
The pioneering female rapper Lil’ Kim will headline both Vivid Sydney and Melbourne’s Rising this year, as each festival revealed its programs on Wednesday.The performances at Sydney’s Carriageworks and Melbourne’s Festival Hall will be Lil’ Kim’s first Australian shows in 15 years, celebrating her landmark multiplatinum records Hard Core – which turns 30 this year – and The Notorious KIM.Both Vivid and Rising are staged annually in winter.Rising’s artistic director and chief executive, Hannah Fox, said the 51-year-old rapper, who broke out as a member of Junior MAFIA and was mentored by the Notorious BIG, was on “a really exciting return to form”.“Hard Core and Notorious KIM really did carve a path – there are so many women rappers and femcees now who absolutely followed in her tiny footsteps, her funked-up, sex-positive vibe,” Fox said
Stephen Colbert on US war in Iran: ‘We’re still no closer to learning what the goal is’
Late-night hosts looked into the murky goals, economic impact and disrespect for military protocol of Donald Trump’s war in Iran.“We’re on day 10 of the Iran war,” said Stephen Colbert on Monday evening, “and we’re still no closer to learning what the goal is. Is it regime change? Is it ending a nuclear program? Is it changing the name to Donald Trump’s Iran-a-Lago?”“But we are learning more about the cost,” he noted, as the first week of the war alone is estimated to have cost about $6bn. “Do you know what you could buy with $6bn? Twenty-seven Kristi Noem horsey commercials!” he joked before clips of the very expensive, controversial ad campaign that likely ended Noem’s tenure as secretary of homeland security.Despite the exorbitant cost, Trump said over the weekend that this new surprise war would stop only after Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, to which Iran replied: “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave
Farage delivers energy sermon at the pump – just don’t mention the war
Lammy defends jury reforms against claims they will worsen racial bias in legal system – as it happened
Nigel Farage accused of U-turn as he says UK should keep out of Iran war
Ministers to ask 100 UK citizens to advise on digital ID plans
So Badenoch, Farage and Blair think the Iran war is a great idea? Hmm … | John Crace
Ministers must act more quickly on deepfakes to protect women and girls, Kendall says
UK inflation likely to rise because of Middle East war, says Rachel Reeves
Gerry Adams ‘as culpable as those who planted IRA bombs’, high court hears
Missing money, shipped chips and a 350,000% profit: key takeaways on AI ‘phantom investments’
Starmer warns of bigger impact on economy the longer Iran war continues - as it happened
Lengthy US-Iran war would affect ‘lives and households of everybody’, says Starmer
Nigel Farage invests £215,000 in Kwasi Kwarteng’s bitcoin firm
Meal-breakers: can any relationship survive food incompatibility?
For Anna Jones, it’s lemons. For Ben Benton, it’s rice. For Gurdeep Loyal, it’s anchovies on pizza and, for me, it’s Yorkshire Tea in the morning. I could – did – date someone who “didn’t drink hot drinks”, but I would never have married a man I couldn’t make tea for when I woke up, or who couldn’t make me tea in turn.The Guardian’s journalism is independent
‘Peas are criminally overlooked!’ Seven fabulous forgotten superfoods
Yes, we all know blueberries and kale are good for us. But what about some of the other less well-marketed food heroes that have fallen out of favour?Think of a superfood. What comes to mind? Avocado? Turmeric? Quinoa? Many of us will have a grasp of the most mainstream so-called superfoods. The ones that have become dietary superheroes thanks to savvy marketing. Larger-than-life in the public imagination, they walk among us with a sheen: blueberries with their polyphenols; kale and its vitamin K; goji berries and all their antioxidants
How to make salt and pepper squid – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
This crisp, salty, pungently aromatic dish is a strong contender to kick off my fantasy final meal – it wouldn’t really go with the steak frites and trifle to follow, but I find the combination of hot, crunchy batter and soft, creamy squid utterly irresistible. Happily, there’s no need to save it for the end times when it’s so easy to make for dinner tonight.Prep 10 min Cook 15 min Serves 2350g small sustainably-sourced squid, cleaned and defrosted, if necessary¾ tsp black or white peppercorns ¾ tsp Sichuan peppercorns ¼ tsp fine salt 50g potato starch, or cornflour 1 generous pinch MSG (optional)1 egg, beatenNeutral oil, to deep fry1 red chilli, stalk, pith and seeds discarded, flesh finely sliced2 spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced1 garlic clove, peeled and slicedIf you’re not a fan of the cephalopod, this recipe can be easily adapted to suit anything from small pieces of chicken or fish to whole prawns or mushrooms (king oysters seem to be the most popular, if you can get hold of them; as with anything with a high water content, however, you’ll need to blanch and drain them first).I prefer to use smallish rather than baby squid for this, but it will work with all sizes. Ask your fishmonger to clean them for you, if they’re not already done (those sold frozen generally are), or look at a guide online to help if you’re unsure of how to do this
Trillium, Birmingham B4: ‘There’s a general feeling of people – gasp! – actually enjoying life’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Trillium, the latest Birmingham restaurant by Glyn Purnell, is absolutely not one of those po-faced, sedate, mumbly kind of places where some Ludovico Einaudi is piped plinky-plonkily throughout the dining room while guests stiffly eat six teensy courses. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, even if Purnell, via the likes of Purnell’s and Plates, is pretty much synonymous throughout the Midlands with fancy, special-occasion, Michelin star-winning refinement. Yet on a recent Saturday night, in this brand new, glass-fronted, multicoloured mock birdcage, the talk is loud, the music is roaring and the plates of battered potato scallop with soured cream are appearing thick and fast.Trillium is a genuine attempt by a Michelin-starred restaurateur to translate some of their best bits into a semi-rowdier yet still upmarket stage. It’s been attempted many times by other chefs (see Corenucopia and Bar Valette for details), but, miraculously, Purnell seems to have pulled it off
Has dinner been served with a side of romance? | Brief letters
I can’t be the only person wondering if Dining across the divide (1 March) is possibly resulting in more romantic liaisons than Blind date? Some of them are heartwarming.Ed ClarkeManchester Why all the excitement about a cricket ground within the boundaries of a World Heritage Site (Letters, 27 February)? Derwent Valley Mills has five (viz Cromford Meadows, Ambergate, Belper Meadows, Duffield Meadows and Darley Abbey).Paul EnglishBelper, Derbyshire My anorak has a “funnel” neck (Hiding in plain sight: everyone from Meghan to the Beckhams wants a funnel neck, 27 February). Fortunately, it doesn’t allow rain to cascade through it.Theresa GrahamClevedon, Somerset I was surprised and pleased to see Felicity Cloake’s reference to Farmhouse Fare (How to make the perfect bara brith – recipe, 1 March)
Helen Goh’s recipe for lemon curd layer cake | The sweet spot
This is both simple and celebratory, which in my book makes it just right for Mother’s Day next weekend. It has a fine, tender crumb, which pairs beautifully with the soft, creamy tang of lemon mascarpone, and I use lemon curd in the batter (shop-bought for ease) to bring a particular smoothness and depth of lemon flavour. Finished with a little extra curd and a scattering of edible flowers, it is pretty and unfussy and will hopefully make your own mother’s day.Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr Serves 8-10330g plain flour 2½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt 225g room-temperature unsalted butter225g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 3 large eggs, at room temperature160g lemon curd 250ml whole milk Small edible flowers, to decorateFor the lemon mascarpone 250g lemon curd, plus extra to decorate250g mascarponeHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line the base and sides of two 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl
Women built, and still shape, our culinary culture every day
On 8 March each year, the calendar lights up: dinners celebrating women, panel talks, articles and online events amplifying female voices. The mood on International Women’s Day is joyful, the conversations energised and it feels as if the world is finally paying attention. But then 9 March arrives. Do the celebrations stop? Do we tuck away the banners with the last of the desserts? When the events conclude, are women no longer worth celebrating? The sad truth is that many International Women’s Day events can feel like lip service.Less so in the food world – or at least in our corner of it
The future is rosy for English red wines
When did you last buy a bottle of English red wine? Chances are, you never have. Though increasingly available on the high street – Ocado and Waitrose Cellar both stock a couple – reds grown in Blighty have struggled to shift a reputation for being overpriced: the vast majority still cost £15-25 a bottle, which is well outside what most people might consider “everyday drinking”.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for apple, honey and poppy seed cake | A kitchen in Rome
Honey is, among other things, a successful embalming agent. It is also a humectant, which isn’t an eager cyborg, but one of many short-chained organic compounds that are hygroscopic, meaning they attract and hold water, which in turn prevents hardening and encourages softness. Other hardworking humectants are glycerine, which is what keeps face creams creamy and hydrating, and sorbitol, which ensures toothpaste can be squeezed and smeared all over the sink and on the mirror. Honey, though, is the humectant that’s most suitable for this week’s recipe: a one-bowl, everyday cake inspired by my neighbour’s Polish honey cake, miodownik, combined with the tortino di mele e papavero (apple and poppy seed cake) enjoyed at a station bar in Bolzano.Not only does honey keep the cake moist, its sweetness comes largely from fructose, which is naturally sweeter than refined sugar, so the perception of sweetness is much greater even when less is added
It’s crunch time! Gala apples and nashi pears among Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for March
It’s a core month for pome fruit, with apples, pears and quince all heralding the start of autumn. “The first cab off the rank is the gala – a big sweet and juicy apple,” says Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne.Granny smith, jazz and kanzi apples will come in during March too, and “Australia’s most popular variety, the pink lady, generally starts in April,” he says.Royal gala apples are between $5 and $8 per kilo at supermarkets. They’re $7 to $9 per kilo at Sydney’s Galluzzo Fruiterers, and Gee is selling them for about $3 to $5 per kilo; Spudshed in Perth is selling bags of prepacked new season apples for $3
How to turn limp rhubarb into tasty jam – recipe
Rachel de Thample is one of my food heroines. She’s the author of six books, and has also been course director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s natural chef diploma, head of food for Abel & Cole and commissioning editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated, among so much else. She trained with the likes of Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Peter Gordon, and now teaches fermentation and gut health at River Cottage HQ, where I cut my own teeth in teaching eco-gastronomy more than 20 years ago. While researching honey fermenting recently, I came across her recipe in River Cottage’s Bees & Honey Handbook, which I’ve adapted here so you can make as much as you like using a variety of aromatics.The Guardian’s journalism is independent
£25 for a cookie? What the baffling luxury bakery boom tells us about Britain
Amid a cost of living crisis, pricey patisserie is all the rage – and not just in London. Our reporter goes on a crawl to find out if a tart can really be worth £45There was a time when you could get a stuffed vanilla cream slice or a neon-pink Tottenham cake for about £1 on the leafy, residential corner of Hackney, east London, where I stand today. But the branch of Percy Ingle bakery that was here for nearly 50 years is gone. In its place sits Fika, a cafe where a cinnamon bun costs £4.20 and a pistachio croissant will set you back nearly £5
‘A lot of comedians don’t have a sense of humour’: Jack Dee on his loser Lead Balloon creation Rick Spleen
Jack White: ‘I’m not going to put a painful thing out there for some idiot on the internet to stomp all over’
‘Kitty karma’? Jessie Buckley tries to claw back approval after enraging cat-lovers
The Guide #233: From Wonder Man to Girl Taken, here’s one thing to watch on every streamer
My cultural awakening: a Rihanna song showed me how to live as a gay man in Iran
From The Bride! to Harry Styles: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Stephen Colbert on Kristi Noem: ‘A domestic terrorist who deserves to go to Gitmo’
Stephen Colbert on Republican double-speak for war in Iran: ‘A war that got a thesaurus for Christmas’
Nothing beats the smell of oil and steam | Brief letters
Seth Meyers on Trump spilling military secrets: ‘He’s so excited to bomb people, he can’t help himself’
Actor reaches settlement with Old Vic theatre over Kevin Spacey assault claims
‘Excellence’: Smithsonian exhibit celebrates HBCUs amid attacks on Black history
