Ratcliffe says immigrants cost too much, while Ineos lobbies for state funding

The backlash against Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about immigrants to the UK “costing too much” for the state comes at an awkward time for his loss-making Ineos business.The billionaire industrialist’s sprawling empire, which ranges from chemicals to car making, has sought government financial support worth hundreds of millions of pounds and is lobbying for further state aid from the UK and EU to stay afloat.Britain’s seventh-richest man provoked outrage by accusing immigrants of “colonising” Britain and implying that people on benefits were an unaffordable drain on public funds.But Ratcliffe, who has also described carbon taxes as “the most idiotic tax in the world”, has in recent years laid claim to state support through grants and loan guarantees worth about €800m from UK and EU governments to help his refineries and chemicals plants during an extended downturn for the industry.Ratcliffe told Sky News: “You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in

Ex-Barclays boss Jes Staley was trustee of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate until 2015, files say

The former Barclays boss Jes Staley was named as a trustee of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate until at least May 2015, according to documents that appear to contradict court testimony given by the banker.This month the Guardian revealed that US prosecutors had reviewed allegations of rape and bodily harm against Staley, who denies any wrongdoing. He has never been charged with a crime related to the allegations.On Thursday, documents emerged that raised questions over whether Staley gave inaccurate evidence in court last year about the nature of his ties to the late convicted sex offender Epstein.Staley’s signature appears on a copy of the Jeffrey E Epstein 2014 Trust, dated November 2014, where he is named as one of three trustees

Schroders agrees £9.9bn takeover by US investor, ending 200 years of family ownership

Schroders has agreed a £9.9bn takeover by a US investor, ending two centuries of family ownership of the historic British asset management group.Chicago-based Nuveen will buy the City firm, it said on Thursday, in a deal that will create one of the world’s biggest fund managers, controlling about $2.5tn (£1.8tn) of assets

UK economy limps along at 0.1% growth – but there are reasons for optimism in 2026

Rachel Reeves has suggested 2026 is the year Labour can start to deliver on its economic promises; but 0.1% GDP growth in the final quarter of last year is hardly the springboard she was hoping for.In the supportive message on X she sent on Monday as Keir Starmer’s future appeared under threat, the chancellor claimed “the conditions for the economy to grow are there”.But the latest data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), suggests that despite six interest rate cuts from the Bank of England since mid-2024, consumers and businesses are not yet taking the hint.Output from the key services sector was flat over the final quarter of the year, the ONS said, with construction – crucial to Labour’s ambitious housebuilding targets – declining by 2

UK economy grows by only 0.1% amid falling business investment

The UK economy expanded by only 0.1% in the final three months of last year, according to official data, as falling business investment and weak consumer spending led to little momentum going into 2026.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the economy grew at the same rate of 0.1% as the previous three months. This was less than a 0

Housing market in England and Wales ‘showing tentative signs of recovery’

There are “tentative signs” that the housing market in England and Wales is recovering from a months-long slowdown after uncertainty around the autumn budget and economic pressures, estate agents and surveyors have reported.The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said its members were feeling more optimistic about the year ahead than at any time since December 2024, as inquiries from new buyers, agreed sales and house prices became less negative in January.A monthly survey of chartered surveyors in England and Wales showed a net balance of 35% of Rics members expect an increase in house sales over the next 12 months. The index measures the difference between the share of agents reporting rising and falling optimism.Demand from new buyers was still down, however, with a net balance of -15% of respondents saying they had seen a further decrease in inquiries in January, but Rics said this figure showed “diminished negativity”, after a reading of -21% in December and -29% in November

Starmer tells Jim Ratcliffe to apologise for saying UK ‘colonised’ by immigrants

Keir Starmer has said Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe should apologise for his comments that the UK is being “colonised” by immigrants.In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Britain’s seventh-richest man, who moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020, took aim at people receiving state support and immigrants.“You can’t afford … you can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “The UK is being colonised by immigrants, really, isn’t it?“I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people

UK law firms consider action on behalf of women who developed brain tumours after using contraceptive

UK law firms are considering legal action on behalf of women who developed brain tumours after using the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera.Depo-Provera is a high-dose synthetic progesterone, prescribed for contraception and other menstrual symptoms, administered via injection every three months. According to UN calculations, 74 million women worldwide and 3.1% of UK women aged 15-49 use injectable contraception.Multiple studies have shown that women who take Depo-Provera have a much higher relative risk of developing meningiomas, though the overall risk remains low

Wake up Labour MPs: the price of electricity is a crisis for industry and growth | Nils Pratley

The price of electricity is less entertaining than a bout of leadership plotting but Labour MPs, if they lifted their gaze, could note that the boss of one of our largest energy companies made a significant prediction this week. British electricity prices in 2030 would be higher than they were in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said Chris O’Shea, the chief executive of British Gas-owning Centrica. If he’s right, the implications may matter more for those MPs’ re-election prospects than if or when the prime minister goes.O’Shea was not making a point about net zero. He was merely saying all options for the necessary upgrade of the country’s energy infrastructure were expensive

Scottish rocket startup nears collapse despite £26m in taxpayer loans

A British space company hoping to launch the first homegrown rocket from Scotland is on the brink of collapse, threatening 150 jobs and throwing doubt over the UK’s extraterrestrial ambitions.Orbex, which is based in the Scottish Highlands, is lining up administrators as hopes fade that it will strike a rescue deal or raise funds, despite having been handed £26m in government loans last year.The startup had planned to launch a rocket from a base on the Shetland Islands and was “on the cusp” of holding its first test flights in 2026, according to its chief executive, Phil Chambers.The company had also been in talks to raise fresh cash from the Treasury-backed National Wealth Fund, but that deal fell through at an “early stage” of discussions late last year, a source with knowledge of the situation said.Launch plans were also hit by repeated delays and Orbex eventually turned to a potential German buyer, The Exploration Company, which is developing a reusable spacecraft

US added 130,000 jobs in January, surpassing expectations as 2025 growth is slashed

The US jobs market added 130,000 jobs in January, according to a highly anticipated labor market report released on Wednesday, a surge of job growth after months of fatigue in the labor market.The unemployment rate was 4.3% in January, a slight cooling since the fall. Economists predicted 70,000 in job gains and an unchanged unemployment rate for January.The gains are still 13,000 jobs less than the the 143,000 jobs added a year ago in January 2025, but more than double the 50,000 jobs that were added in December

US jobs report beats forecasts with 130,000 increase in January – as it happened

US employers hired 130,000 more workers in January, which was stronger than expected (and despite warnings from the White House of smaller numbers because of its deportation programme).Non-farm payrolls figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% last month from 4.4% in December.Economists had pencilled in an increase of 70,000 jobs, on average, and forecast the rate would stay at 4

Cocktails and crepes in bed? Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for Valentine’s Day breakfast

Give me breakfast in bed over a bunch of limp supermarket roses any day. Nothing says “I love you” more genuinely than a decadent tray of delicious things to savour between the sheets. Because V-Day falls on a weekend this year, you can do better than just buttered toast and an unbidden cup of tea. Whether it’s sweet or savoury (or even a cheeky cocktail), I’ve got you!These French crepes are given the Midas touch with a pinch of saffron. Use your favourite fish – mackerel and salmon also work well here

‘Boy kibble’: why are young men turning to dog food for meal inspiration?

The dried food, traditionally for pets, has become an unlikely influence for meal preppers. Some commenters have even claimed the trend could be an antidote to toxic masculinity Name: Boy kibble.Age: It’s new.Appearance: Like a dog’s dinner.Isn’t that what kibble is? Traditionally, yes, kibble is dried food for pets in pellet form, made of grains, vegetables and meat

Frothing over: the coffee foams and ‘indulgent’ drinks keeping Australian cafes afloat

Cold brews and matcha lattes with airy, dessert-like layers are everywhere. What’s driving the trend for blockbuster toppings?Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailCoffee brimming with lemon myrtle cream. Matcha banked with strawberry-lychee foam. Cold brew with choc-orange froth thick enough to stuff a pillow. Every caffeinated drink I’ve ordered in Sydney recently has the appearance of a generously frosted cake

What is fibremaxxing – and how much is too much? | Kitchen aide

Why is everyone talking about fibremaxxing?Chris, by emailTikTok-born trends rarely go hand in hand with sage health advice, but that’s not to say upping our fibre – an often-forgotten part of our diets – is a bad idea. “Fibre needed its moment, so this is a good thing,” says dietitian Priya Tew. The non-digestible carbohydrate has two main functions: “There’s insoluble fibre, which is found in things such as whole grains, brown rice or vegetable skins, and I think about it like a broom,” Tew says, “in that it brushes the system out.” Then there’s soluble fibre (oats, beans, lentils), which she likens to a sponge: “It turns into this gel in your gut, and aids digestion and keeps us regular.” But that’s only part of the story, because fibre can also help lower cholesterol and stabilise blood sugar

Moroccan lamb filo pie and rhubarb panna cotta: Thomasina Miers’ Sunday best recipes

There is little as pleasing to cook in the depths of the winter as a pot of enticingly fragrant, slow-braised meat. A shoulder of lamb is one of my favourite cuts; you, or a friendly butcher, will need to trim away its excess fat, a job that will reward you with an exquisite flavour that marries beautifully with bold spicing. Here, we travel to Morocco, with sweetly aromatic ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, and follow that with cardamom, cream and rhubarb for pudding. A sumptuous, colourful feast to stave off any February blues.Many elements of this dish, with its falling apart, richly seasoned lamb and carrots encased in crisp, golden pastry, can be made the day before

Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for creamy chicken and mustard fricassee | Quick and easy

This is a one-pan dinner at its finest: elegant and full of flavour, something that feels as if it has taken more effort and time than it actually has, and versatile in its finish – serve with creamy mash, fluffy rice, boiled potatoes; even hunks of fresh baguette would be wonderful for mopping up the creamy mustard sauce. I use whatever veg is in season: purple sprouting broccoli is at its best right now, but you could add stalks of rainbow chard, shredded cavolo nero, even halved baby carrots. Play around with whatever veg you have and love.If you can’t find mustard powder, feel free to use your mustard of choice – wholegrain would work well here.Prep 5 min Cook 30 min Serves 44 skin-on chicken breasts (about 160g each)Sea salt and black pepper 2 tsp English mustard powder 1 tbsp olive oil 200g purple sprouting broccoli 30g unsalted butter 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp aleppo pepper 2½ tbsp plain flour 125ml dry white wine 500ml chicken stock 200ml single creamPut the chicken breasts on a deep plate and season generously

Red lentils, and lamb and barley: Ilhan Mohamed Abdi’s soup recipes for Iftar

There is nothing quite like that first bite after a long day of fasting. It’s quiet, intentional and deeply comforting. The stillness just before sunset gives way to movement – the table being laid, the clinking of glasses, the pause as everyone waits for the call to prayer. Then, with a date in hand and water on the tongue, the fast is broken. That moment never loses its meaning, no matter how many times you experience it

RecipeTin Eats founder farewells Dozer the golden retriever: ‘I will love you and miss you forever’

Nagi Maehashi, the celebrated cook behind RecipeTin Eats, has announced the death of her beloved canine companion, Dozer, on Sunday, saying the cover star of her bestselling cookbooks would be missed “forever”.Dozer, a golden retriever, was Maehashi’s supporting star on her hyper-popular cooking blog and featured in many images and stories in her two books: Tonight and Dinner. Dinner was released in 2023, and became the fastest-selling cookbook in Australian publishing history. Maehashi’s blog receives more than 500 million hits each year.On social media, Maehashi said Dozer, who was 13, was hospitalised at the vet in January with a lung infection, which was complicated by his older age and existing medical conditions

How to cook the perfect brigadeiros for Valentine’s Day – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to cook the perfect …

If you’re not au fait with these soft, chocolatey treats, you clearly haven’t spent much time in Brazil, where, in the words of blogger Olivia Mesquita, they’re national treasures, “a must-have at special celebrations, from kids’ parties to weddings”. As content creator Camila Hurst puts it, “It’s basically not a party without them.” Quick and simple to make from everyday ingredients, they’re also an ideal last-minute gift for someone you love.Older recipes tend to call for hot chocolate powder, but plain cocoa powder makes for a less intensely sweet result. Mesquita’s book, Authentic Brazilian Home Cooking, uses dark chocolate, and TV chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz suggests combining the two

Cylla, Birmingham: ‘Maybe the best potato side dish being served in the UK today’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

Punchy cocktails and roaringly traditional Greek food in the heart of BirminghamCylla, a classy Greek restaurant on Newhall Street, Birmingham, draws inspiration, it says, from Scylla, the legendary Greek man-eating sea monster that lives close to the whirlpools of Charybdis. She’s a beautiful woman, but has six dog heads, all grumpy and snarling, as well as a serpent’s tail.If Scylla herself were ever to turn up at Cylla, dogs’ heads barking and tail flapping, they’d have to seat her in one of the gorgeous private booths at the front as you enter the room. These are the spots to grab if you want a little privacy, which is why we eschewed the long, prettily lit cocktail bar and headed straight to this cosy hidey-hole for a round of Poseidon’s Wrath. “It’s a bit like a dirty martini,” explained our server, who was one of those warm, bright, commanding, knowledgable souls who, in a hospitality setting, is worth her weight in drachma

Spice up your life! 17 soups with a kick – from chicken curry laksa to roast pumpkin

Technically, many soups are spiced in some way, even if it’s just with pepper. But we all know what is meant by a spiced soup: something with a jolt to it, and a bit of heat to warm up a winter evening. When it comes to soup, spice is the ultimate companion to a main ingredient that may otherwise be considered boring or bland. In this sense, the spices are the most important component: they are what the soup will taste of.But which spices go with which ingredients, and how? Here are 17 different recipes to help you figure that out

Helen Goh’s recipe for Valentine’s chocolate pots de creme for two | The sweet spot

These chocolate pots are dark, silken and softly bitter, with enough richness to feel a little decadent, but not heavy. Make one to share or two individual ones, depending on your mood. They can be made ahead, anywhere from an hour to a full day in advance, and will keep happily in the fridge. If they’ve been chilled for more than a couple of hours, let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. They should feel cool against the spoon, but not fridge-cold, which dulls their luxurious texture