Chris Bowen declares rush on jerry cans ‘un-Australian’ as he urges end to panic buying of petrol

Chris Bowen has insisted the country’s fuel supply is yet to be affected by the war in the Middle East while criticising a rush to buy jerry cans to fill up with petrol as “un-Australian”.The energy minister made the comments after an emergency meeting with major fuel suppliers and retailers that was convened by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to demand explanations for the recent surge in petrol prices.Australian fuel prices have soared amid a 40% rise in global oil prices in the past fortnight, in response to the Middle East conflict and closure of the strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping channel largely controlled by Iran.The government has said it was concerned some retailers were price gouging and that panic buying has exacerbated the situation. Some regional retailers have also run out of fuel in recent days

Train delays: compensation claims to be easier under Great British Railways

Rail passengers will be able to claim compensation for delayed trains directly from the website where they bought their ticket, the government has said, as part of a shake-up to make rail travel simpler.Passengers who use third-party retailers such as Trainline to buy tickets currently, have to submit applications for refunds to the relevant train operator for processing.Compensation claim systems for individual train operators will be merged into a single consolidated service under Great British Railways (GBR), the new nationalised rail body.The Department for Transport said the GBR site will also process refunds for customers using private ticketing websites, if the retailer and passenger opt in to share their purchase details.The latest full-year figures from the rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, showed that train operators paid out £138m in 2023-24 for delayed journeys

Thames Water rescue deal talks rumble on interminably but its future remains unclear | Nils Pratley

It is two years since the shareholders of Thames Water threw in the towel, declared the company “uninvestible” and accepted their shares were worthless. Yet the water torture goes on and on. We are now in the ninth month of negotiations between Thames’s senior creditors and the regulator, Ofwat, on a rescue deal – and still an outcome is thought to be weeks away.Monday’s updated sketch of the proposal contained a few new details. The amount of fresh equity that would be injected into Thames has increased from £3

Car park firm NCP falls into administration, putting nearly 700 jobs at risk

National Car Parks, the UK’s biggest car park operator, has fallen into administration, putting nearly 700 jobs at risk.NCP’s board of directors called in PwC as administrators after it ran out of cash, leaving it unable to pay its landlords and creditors, with significant rent payments due at the end of March.PwC said it would take steps “to stabilise the business while assessing options for its future” including a sale, with all car parks staying open “for now”, and staff remaining in post. NCP, which dates back to 1931 and is a familiar sight in town centres with its black and yellow signs, employs 682 people.The Japanese-owned company, which manages 340 car parks across the UK, including in major towns and city centres, airports, hospitals and transport hubs, has struggled in recent years, with “continued shifts in commuting and customer driving patterns,” according to PwC

IEA to consider release of more oil reserves as Iran war keeps prices high

The world’s energy watchdog will consider releasing further emergency crude stocks into the global market to cool rising oil prices after warning that it will take time for markets to recover from the ongoing crisis in the strait of Hormuz.Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, said its members continued to hold large reserves of emergency oil stocks even after agreeing to the biggest release of government crude in the history of the market, meaning more emergency oil reserves could still be released “as and if needed”.It came as the price of Brent crude rose almost 3% within minutes of the market opening on Monday, to about $106.50 a barrel. It later dipped by about 2%, but was still trading at just above $100 a barrel

UK mortgage rates jump, and petrol prices rise, amid ‘Trumpflation’ worries; Oil price falls as Bessent says US is letting Iran ship its crude – as it happened

Oof! Average UK mortgage rates have jumped this morning.Data provider Moneyfacts has reported that the average 2-year fixed residential mortgage rate has risen to 5.20% today, up from 5.10% on Friday. It was just 4

US oil prices could see another day of wild fluctuation as Iran war drags on

US oil prices could see another day of wild fluctuation as the US-Israel campaign against Iran extends into a third week, with one analyst predicting that prices at the pump might hit $3.85 per gallon on Monday.Petroleum prices have spiraled upward as the broadening conflict has imperiled oil and gas production infrastructure in the region. On Friday, the US conducted strikes on Kharg Island, an essential oil processing hub in Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, continues to block ships from passing through the strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the international oil supply typically passes through

Chinese-owned Syngenta to build new £100m bioscience hub in UK

Syngenta is to build a new £100m research centre for agricultural bioscience, a move hailed by the government as a vote of confidence in the UK’s science base.The Chinese-owned company, one of the biggest agrichemical groups in the world, will open the centre at its Jealott’s Hill site in Berkshire to host hundreds of scientists.The decision will provide a boost to relations between the research industry and government after a public row with the pharmaceutical sector over drug pricing and other issues, which led to big drugmakers cancelling or pausing nearly £2bn in UK investments last year.AstraZeneca’s planned £200m expansion of its research operations in Cambridge is still on hold.Switzerland-based Syngenta said the new bioscience hub would focus on a range of technologies such as biological pesticides – the next generation of crop protection

Sobering times: alcohol-free beer added to UK inflation basket

The UK’s increasing sobriety will be recognised from next month in the basket of goods used to calculate inflation after alcohol-free beer was added to a list by the Office for National Statistics totalling 760 items.Hummus and pet grooming were also included in the list of goods and services used to help judge the impact of rising prices on the cost of living.The new data will feed into the consumer prices index (CPI), the retail prices index (RPI) and the consumer prices index including housing costs (CPIH), which is the ONS’s preferred measure of inflation.Alcohol-free beer was included after sales increased, as did “the product range and shelf-space devoted to the product,” the ONS said.Hummus gained the attention of statisticians after the “increasing popularity of this item among health-conscious consumers, with estimates of expenditure rising to around £170m in 2024”

European takeover battle hots up with UniCredit’s ‘unfriendly attack’ on Commerzbank

Two European banking powerhouses have become embroiled in a €35bn (£30bn) takeover battle after Italy’s UniCredit stepped up its long-running pursuit of German lender Commerzbank, despite strong opposition from the German government.UniCredit first took a stake of 9% in Commerzbank in September 2024 and has since built up its holding to just under 30%. It said on Monday it was pushing to increase that holding further and push the rival lender into formal merger talks.Under German law, a shareholder that has a more than 30% stake is required to make a takeover bid. The Milan-headquartered bank said on Monday it was planning a share swap that would imply a €30

Taxpayer bill for saving Scunthorpe steel furnaces could top £1.5bn by 2028, auditor says

The cost of keeping the UK’s last remaining blast furnaces going at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant could exceed £1.5bn by 2028 if it continues at its current rate, according to the government’s spending watchdog.Ministers took the plant into public control in April last year, after its Chinese owner – industrial firm Jingye – threatened to shut down the loss-making site.The National Audit Office (NAO), which monitors state spending, said the intervention saved thousands of jobs at Scunthorpe and prevented a “serious impact” on UK industry, including Network Rail, which buys steel for the railways from the plant.Shutting the plant would also have ended Britain’s “primary” steel-making ability because blast furnaces allow steel to be made from scratch, rather than relying on scrap metal

Thames Water lenders float new £10bn rescue plan

Thames Water’s lenders have put forward a £10bn rescue plan that would involve paying off the troubled water company’s hundreds of millions of pounds-worth of fines for leaks and pollution, as part of an effort to stave off financial collapse.A group of private equity firms and investment groups said they would inject about £3.35bn of cash into Thames Water and raise £6.65bn in debt, in exchange for the company not falling into a government-handled administration, in effect a temporary nationalisation.Bills for Thames Water’s 16 million customers in south-east England are already due to rise steeply until 2030 but the rescue plan would, at least, hold them at that level rather than pushing them even higher

DakaDaka, London W1: ‘Like a 2am lock-in on a Tbilisi back street’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

DakaDaka, a rowdy paean to Georgian cuisine, has arrived on Heddon Street in the West End of London. Heddon Street has always been synonymous with rowdiness, regardless of the fact that the mature, semi-elegant likes of Sabor, Piccolino and Heddon Street Kitchen are quite the opposite. But anyone who ever found themselves staggering out of Strawberry Moons in the 1990s having lost a shoe and with a love bite or from the basement club at Momo will know that this little nook tucked away behind Regent Street is where a good time is meant to be had.And now there’s DakaDaka, which certainly does not market itself as a nightclub, because, well, virtually nowhere does any more. What DakaDaka does do, though, is play Georgian dance music very loudly and with endless enthusiasm right through your badrijani (grilled aubergines), imeruli (cheese-filled flatbread) and kababi (lamb skewers)

Fallouts and financial woes: inside Heston Blumenthal’s sinking empire

Dinner by Heston was once one of the world’s most revered restaurants, known for its decadent and unusual dishes such as the “meat fruit”.But Heston Blumenthal announced this week that he is winding down operations at the two Michelin-star restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge, London, saying it was because the tenancy had “finished”.However, current and former workers at Dinner claim the restaurant has been going downhill for years after Blumenthal fell out with his right-hand man, Ashley Palmer-Watts, who created the menu and ran the restaurant day to day before he left the business.“Closing the restaurant was not Heston’s choice whatsoever,” a senior source from the Mandarin Oriental told the Guardian. “The hotel chose not to renew the lease

Mother’s Day UK recipes: three delicious ideas to make for your mum from Ravinder Bhogal

Few things say “I love you” more than an unbidden cup of tea, but if you want to show true appreciation to the maternal figure in your life this Mother’s Day, there’s nothing better than a few indulgent snacks to go with it. I love the British tradition of afternoon tea, but I find finger sandwiches in hotel lobbies a little too fussy. I would much rather a fortifying savoury sandwich, a slab of good, old-fashioned cake and buttery biscuits that crumble into a million sweet crumbs.This very simple cake can be baked in a regular cake tin, but cooking it in a bundt tin makes it much more of a showstopper. If you want to forgo the icing, serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and berries instead

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for caramelised white chocolate and rhubarb cheesecake | The sweet spot

It’s often my own impatience that forces me to make no-bake cheesecakes over baked ones. They’re not at all as faffy, though it’s pretty hard to beat the lighter, silkier texture you get with a baked version plus the extra effort is worth it on a special occasion such as Mother’s Day. I’ve sweetened the filling for this one with caramelised white chocolate – it brings a beautiful, creamy, dulce de leche-type caramel flavour that even the biggest white chocolate haters should enjoy. If making your own caramelised white chocolate feels a step too far, however, just buy bars of blond chocolate instead. Top with gently poached rhubarb for a pop of colour and to cut through the richness

Noma chef resigns amid allegations of physical abuse of staff

René Redzepi, the head chef and co-founder of Noma, has announced his resignation from his internationally acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant following allegations he physically abused his staff.Redzepi had been facing protests in Los Angeles before a four-month pop-up that launched this week. His resignation on Wednesday comes after the New York Times detailed allegations of physical and psychological abuse, including claims that he “punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements and slammed them against walls”.He wrote in an Instagram story: “I’ve decided to step away and allow our extraordinary leaders to now guide the restaurant into its next chapter.”Redzepi said the recent weeks had “brought attention and important conversations about our restaurant, industry and my past leadership”, writing: “I have worked to be a better leader and Noma has taken big steps to transform the culture over many years

Light red wines for spring drinking

Can wine ever be good for you? The question has surely occurred to most of us after a night on the chȃteau de migraine, especially if we’ve read the increasingly dire warnings on alcohol consumption. Still, as with chocolate, a lot depends on what type of alcohol you drink. After all, a 90% cocoa solids situation is probably going to do less harm than, say, a family tub of Celebrations, and, while all alcohol is, I hate to break it to you, alcohol, there are definitely better choices you can make.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for risotto in bianco | A kitchen in Rome

Parmigiano reggiano, grana padano, lodigiano, trentingrana and the other members of the grana-type cheese family (there are many, and all are worth seeking out) are far from cheap. Which is why it is important to use every last bit, including the rind with the last few millimetres of cheese still attached. That functions as a sort of highly flavoured and fatty stock cube that can be added to soups and stews. The best place to keep your precious rinds is in a plastic bag or airtight container in the freezer, which also preserves flavour and stops them drying out, until they’re pulled out and added directly to whatever needs a boost, or to make one of the nicest, most delicately flavoured and cheesy broths, which in turn makes a lovely risotto.I have written about risotto many times here, with each version a new favourite, and providing lessons in a dish that, regardless of how much I learn and practise, I am always chasing: the right proportions of rice to broth, as well as a pleasing consistency and texture

‘Highly problematic behavior’: Noma residency in LA starts with PR crisis

It was always going to be an indulgence for René Redzepi, the Danish-Albanian chef of Noma fame, to bring his exacting, innovative vision of haute cuisine to Los Angeles and spend several weeks tickling the palates of well-heeled diners at a hilltop estate once dubbed “the most beautiful home in Hollywood”.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The timing has certainly been unfortunate, since the US is now fighting a destabilizing war in the Middle East and food prices are climbing so steeply that many ordinary Americans can no longer afford to eat at McDonald’s, much less contemplate the counterintuitive delights of tacinga cactus, bougainvillea petals, mealworms and giant tuna eyes

Before sunrise: while Sydney sleeps, suhoor meals attract a lively social scene during Ramadan

Suhoor – the pre-dawn meal – is typically shared at home. But in Sydney customers also queue outside food trucks, restaurants and cafes with extended trading hoursIt’s just after midnight in an industrial courtyard in Auburn in Sydney’s west and a glow of string lights and the constant sizzle of a grill signal one of Ramadan’s newest late-night rituals. A food truck specialising in halal steak sandwiches has attracted a small crowd and a queue begins to form.The rest of the city is largely asleep but here the courtyard hums with life as young Muslims arrive in waves after evening taraweeh prayers, chatting and checking their phones as the clock edges closer to suhoor – the pre-dawn meal eaten during Ramadan before the day’s fast begins.Inside The Meat Up, a Lebanese husband-and-wife duo move quickly over the grill

How to use up limp herbs in a flavoured butter – recipe | Waste not

Compound butter is simply butter that’s been mixed with flavourings, both sweet and savoury, and is a tasty and easy way to give a small bunch of tired herbs new life. It can be melted over vegetables, stirred through pasta, grains or pulses, basted over meat or fish, spread on toast, or frozen in slices to use a little at a time. Think of this less as a recipe and more as a framework: taste as you go and decide whether you want something bold and explosive or a more gentle experience.Long before the TikTok revival, compound butter was something most home cooks admired on restaurant plates rather than made themselves. But it’s a really simple way to save a few tired herbs and give a meal a welcome boost, adding both serious flavour and visual impact

Chicken wings and soup: Helen Graves’ spring onion recipes

March is a tricky pin in the seasonal calendar, with energising winter citrus fading and spring’s stars yet to emerge. It’s a time when I find pleasure in reappraising ingredients that are routinely overlooked. Spring onions, say, which are often considered a garnish, but which are good for so much more. Their contrasting colourway is a clue to their varying intensity, with the white roots holding pungency and the greens more akin to especially bolshie chives. Today’s recipes harness the properties of both, bridging the gap between the current need for comfort and the warmer weather ahead

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