NHS and MoD will be urged to buy British tech to drive growth amid Iran crisis

The NHS and Ministry of Defence will be urged to buy British tech, as the government pins its hopes on the benefits of artificial intelligence to kickstart growth in the face of the Iran crisis, Treasury minister Spencer Livermore has said.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will restate her economic strategy in a high profile lecture on Tuesday, just as rocketing oil prices have raised fears of higher inflation and weaker growth.Livermore, who works closely with Reeves on policy, said the chancellor will highlight three strategic choices – to get closer to the EU, to strengthen regional policy in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and by better connecting Northern cities; and to bet big on the benefits of AI.On AI, Livermore said Reeves is keen to “set out the optimistic case”, despite growing fears about the potential impact of the technology for jobs, particularly among young people.“There are massive opportunities here and I think that’s what we want to try to talk about,” he said

Judge blocks justice department from subpoenaing Fed chair Jerome Powell

A federal judge on Friday blocked the justice department from serving subpoenas to Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell in an inquiry purported to be about the management of the central bank’s renovation.Powell disclosed the surprise investigation on 11 January, and described the move as a threat to Fed independence and part of the Trump administration’s attempts to pressure the Fed to cut rates.The judge agreed, saying a “mountain of evidence” suggests the investigation was to pressure the Fed chair to lower rates or resign.“The government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime; indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” chief judge James Boasberg of the DC district court wrote on Friday.Tom Tillis, a Republican US senator, said on Friday an appeal by the Trump administration in a justice department case involving Powell “will only delay the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair”

Oil price shock likely to ‘push the UK economy into recession’; US growth revised down – as it happened

The oil price shock hitting the global economy could push the UK into recession, Tomasz Wieladek, chief European macro economist at investment managent firm T. Rowe Price, is warning this morning.Wieladek says the UK’s economy’s failure to grow in January show that it was weak even before the oil shock, which is likely to hit consumer spending and create more cost of living pressures.Following today’s weaker-than-expected GDP report, Wieladek writes:double quotation markUK GDP growth stagnated in January, far weaker than market expectations of a 0.2% month-on-month pickup

Miliband reveals plans that could mean nuclear power plants built near homes

Ed Miliband has unveiled plans that could make it easier to build nuclear power plants closer to homes and on sensitive nature sites, as he attempts to speed up the development of energy infrastructure.The energy secretary set out changes to nuclear regulation, to be carried out this year, which would mean a “win-win for building critical infrastructure while protecting nature and the environment”.However, ministers were quickly accused of “irresponsible deregulation” and putting nature at risk.The shake-up means the government will implement the recommendations of a review completed last year by the nuclear regulatory taskforce review, which was led by the former Office of Fair Trading boss John Fingleton.It said an overhaul of the “overly complex” and “bureaucratic” system which “favoured process over safe outcomes” was needed

Bailiffs board Ryanair plane after airline refuses to pay delayed flight compensation

Bailiffs have boarded a Ryanair aircraft after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed.Austrian officials took action after the budget carrier ignored a court order to pay the unnamed woman €890 (£742) in legal costs and compensation for a delayed flight two years ago.A bailiff entered the plane, which was bound for London, as it sat on the stand at Linz airport on Monday and fixed a seizure sticker to the cabin when crew were unable to settle the debt.The label, known as a “cuckoo sticker”, gives the court legal control over the aircraft, which was allowed to continue to operate under set conditions. The court can sell the Boeing 737 at public auction if the debt is not paid by a deadline

Bleak economic data shows UK plc in trouble well before Middle East crisis

Even before Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury on Iran unleashed higher oil prices, threatening the outlook for growth and inflation, the UK economy was flatlining.That’s the bleak message in the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which showed zero GDP growth in January.On the less volatile three-monthly measure, growth was 0.2% – a slight improvement on 0.1% in the three months to December

UK economy unexpectedly flatlined in January, official figures show

The UK economy unexpectedly flatlined in January, stoking concerns over growth amid the global energy price shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 0% growth in gross domestic product (GDP), down from an increase of 0.1% in December, as the economy failed to recover from uncertainty surrounding the chancellor Rachel Reeves’s autumn budget.Falling significantly short of City predictions for growth of 0.2%, the figures came as the UK and other countries faced a potentially severe economic hit as the Middle East conflict drove up oil and gas prices, hitting consumers with higher living costs

Keeping it simple was always the answer for John Lewis | Nils Pratley

It turns out, the remedy for the John Lewis partnership’s post-Covid woes of a few years ago did not lie in seeking outside capital or building 10,000 buy-to-rent flats. Rather, the solution was the old-fashioned one of cutting costs and concentrating on basic shopkeeping.As it happens, the wild idea of seeking external investors was virtually dead the moment it was loosely aired, such was the uproar among customers and staff about the threat to the 100%-employee owned model. But the home-building adventure did get going until it was ditched by the newish chair, Jason Tarry, a couple of weeks ago. He accepted, in effect, a point that should have been obvious at the outset: if the building assumptions relied on interest rates remaining at near-zero for years, the project would not survive contact with events

Watchdog puts UK fuel retailers ‘on notice’ over profiteering from Iran war

The UK competition watchdog has warned fuel retailers it is stepping up its monitoring of pump prices amid concern over profiteering as the US war with Iran drives up wholesale costs.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said firms responsible for thousands of filling stations across the country had been “put on notice” amid a wider government crackdown to stop bosses ramping up profits at the expense of consumers.The watchdog said it would require firms to provide their revenue, costs and sales data, accelerating a review of fuel industry margins it initiated after the conflict began just under a fortnight ago.Against a volatile backdrop in global energy markets, the oil price rose past $100 (£75) a barrel on Thursday for a second time in a week, as widespread Iranian attacks on energy facilities across the region and a threat to continue blocking the strait of Hormuz overshadowed a vast release of government reserves.Petrol and diesel prices have risen sharply, alongside a jump in the cost of home heating fuel

Middle East war creating ‘largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets’

Oil markets are facing the “largest supply disruption in history” as the war in Iran continues to block tankers from shipping millions of barrels of crude each day, the world energy watchdog has warned.The International Energy Agency (IEA) said the supply shock ignited by Iran’s effective blockade of the strait of Hormuz meant the world faced a deeper crisis than after the Yom Kippur war of 1973 and the 2022 outbreak of war in Ukraine.The warning came as Iran issued a statement that was said to be the first from its new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, to call for the vital trade artery to “remain closed”, in a blow to hopes of a resolution to the crisis.In response, global oil prices passed $100 (£75) a barrel on Thursday as widespread Iranian attacks on energy facilities in the Middle East overshadowed a vast release of government reserves.In an attempt to calm concerns over oil supplies, the IEA ordered the largest release of government reserves in its history on Wednesday, when its 32 members unanimously agreed to release 400m barrels of emergency crude

Antibiotics need coordinated G7 investment | Letter

Recent coverage of the pipeline of new antibiotics (Pipeline of new drugs to fight superbugs is ‘worryingly thin’, experts warn, 11 March) is a timely reminder that antimicrobial resistance is one our most urgent health crises. The reason the pipeline is so thin is a fundamental market failure.One of the most logical ways to protect antibiotics is to limit their use to the most essential cases, but this means fewer antibiotics sold. If revenues are limited, companies have less incentive to invest in developing and manufacturing new antibiotics. This is where policy intervention is crucial

UK regulator examines IT glitch that enabled bank customers to see others’ accounts on app

The UK information regulator is examining an IT glitch that enabled some customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to see other users’ transactions when they logged into their banking app.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was “aware of an incident affecting some online banking services” and that it would make inquiries.Worried bank customers posted on social media they feared they had been hacked when they checked their account and were greeted with the details of other people’s finances, including cash withdrawals and benefits payments.In a Facebook post, the consumer champion Martin Lewis said people had been messaging about “being shown other people’s transactions”.In response, the founder of MoneySavingExpert was inundated with close to 2,000 comments from worried bank customers

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

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

Thomasina Miers’ recipe for stuffed cabbage in white wine and escabeche, with buttered dill and pea rice | Sunday best

I love stuffed vegetables. When I was young, I came across a recipe for stuffed aubergines in an old book of my mother’s and must have cooked it a score of times. Later, in the early 1990s and to the echoes of nouvelle cuisine, Delia Smith showed us how we could work similar magic with peppers and tomatoes. Then the technique went deeply out of fashion, but I stayed loyal, and continued quietly stuffing tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes, all no doubt influenced by my travels in Mexico. Thoday’s stuffed cabbage is inspired by the most delicious tongue in a tantalisingly light escabeche that I once had at Nicos in Mexico City, and also because I can’t get enough of cabbage at the moment

Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for cauliflower, lentils and chorizo | Quick and easy

The transformation that cauliflower undergoes in a very hot oven means there is now rarely a time when I don’t roast it first. Making cauliflower cheese? Roast, don’t boil – you’ll end up with a richer, potentially less watery finish. Soup? Absolutely roast it first – it is a gamechanger and almost feels insulting to boil it, because that doesn’t release its full potential. Here, roasting cauli with a few spices and paprika-laced chorizo is a dream, resulting in a salad or side that’s packed with flavour and creates its own intense dressing. It is the sort of dish I will make just for me, then proudly tub up leftovers for meals the following days

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