British food and drink industry call on EU to ‘reset’ trade ties

More than a dozen of Britain’s biggest retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Asda, have called on the EU to reduce checks on food and drink crossing the Channel and Irish Sea, which they say are costing billions of pounds.Ahead of a summit on 19 May that is hoped to “reset” trade ties five years on from Brexit, they are urging politicians to hammer out a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary checks. They hope this would include a veterinary agreement and would harmonise food safety rules or recognise them as equivalent.In a letter to Maroš Šefčovič, the EU commissioner for trade and economic security, the 13 companies said “unnecessary red tape” since Brexit had added £2bn to costs. Signatories of the letter, seen by the Guardian, include Morrisons, Lidl, Ocado, the sandwich makers Greencore and Samworth Brothers, as well as the meat processors Cranswick and 2 Sisters

As Labour frustration grows, could OBR forecasts be cut to once a year?

When Labour was riding high in opposition, the Office for Budget Responsibility was a near sacrosanct institution. Its manifesto pledged Labour would “never sideline the OBR for political convenience”.But emerging from a punishing spring statement, inside No 10 the former devotees have turned sceptics. The fiscal rules remain untouchable – despite Labour MPs’ grumbles – but there is intense frustration at the institution that marks the government’s homework.That unhappiness is likely to deepen in June when MPs vote on a £4

Microsoft faces growing unrest over role in Israel’s war on Gaza: ‘Close to a tipping point’

Turmoil spreads at company over Israel’s extensive use of its AI and cloud computing services in Gaza warFor the second time in the last month, Microsoft employees disrupted high-level executives speaking at an event celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary on 4 April, in protest against the company’s role in Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza.The AI executive Mustafa Suleyman was interrupted by the employees Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal. The two were fired within days. The Microsoft president, Brad Smith, and the former CEO Steve Ballmer were shouted down at Seattle’s Great Hall on 20 March by a current and former employee.The March event was preceded by a rally outside that also included current and former employees of the tech giant

Opt out: how to protect your data and privacy if you own a Tesla

Welcome to Opt Out, a semi-regular column in which we help you navigate your online privacy and show you how to say no to surveillance. The last column covered how to protect your phone and data privacy at the US border. If you’d like to skip to a section about a particular tip, click the “Jump to” menu at the top of this article.At the press of a button, your Tesla pulls itself out of parking spot with no one behind the wheel using a feature called Summon. It drives itself on highways using Autopilot

Wigan’s Jai Field runs the show against St Helens in front of Christian Wade

There has rarely been any shortage of effort or endeavour from Paul Wellens and his St Helens side, and that was certainly the case here. But even the most ardent Saints supporter cannot argue that, right now, there is a gap between their team and their most ferocious rivals which is cause for concern.These two clubs have been thrashing it out for 150 years, since way before the advent of league itself. Yes, there have been greater gulfs between them than they are now – even in their very recent history. And yes, the Saints deserve immense credit for fighting back from 18-2 to set up a grandstand finale

200-1 winner Heavenly Heather kicks off Easter racing with major shock

The Easter racing programme saw a major shock at Newcastle on Good Friday as Heavenly Heather, a 200-1 chance ridden by the 3lb claimer Amie Waugh, became the longest-priced winner of the year so far with a half-length success in the seven-furlong Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Handicap.Waugh’s mount had failed to win any of her previous five starts and was 19lb “wrong” at the weights, meaning that Heavenly Heather raced from an effective handicap mark of 79 rather than her official rating of 60.Her rider took full advantage of her draw on the stands’ side, however, and got a fine response from Heavenly Heather when she asked her to quicken against the rail a furlong from home.The winner was the 12th horse to win at 200-1 in Britain since the turn of the century, and the first at those odds since November 2024. The UK’s record price for a winner is 250-1, set by Equinoctial at Kelso in November 1990