What is the £1.3bn MFS mortgage scandal and what is private credit?

A £1.3bn worldwide asset freezing order has been granted against the tycoon accused of fraud after his UK mortgage lending business collapsed.Paresh Raja, the founder and chief executive of Market Financial Solutions (MFS), is now barred from dissipating assets worth up to the suspected value of funds allegedly missing from his mortgage and buy-to-let lending company, after orders from courts in London and Dubai.The orders, which follow an application from insolvency practitioners at AlixPartners, also impose a travel ban on Raja, who is now thought to be in the Emirates.A spokesperson for AlixPartners said: “We welcome the granting of these applications which follow two weeks of intense analysis and investigation into the operations and affairs of MFS and Paresh Raja

Oh deer! Rory McIlroy puts elk on the Masters champions dinner menu

Elk as the key to Masters success: who had any i-deer? Rory McIlroy will serve starters made from the meat of the North American animal at Augusta National next month in tribute to his food of choice before winning the Masters last year.The wine McIlroy drank to toast victory, food that conjures ­memories of his childhood in Belfast and a dish made by his mother, Rosie, also ­feature in the ­Masters ­champion’s dinner for 2026. In a nod to the venue’s attention to detail, McIlroy revealed that chefs from Augusta made a special visit to a New York restaurant to replicate his favourite tuna recipe.McIlroy will begin his Masters defence from 9 April. Two days ­earlier, he hosts fellow past ­winners in the annual gathering in the Augusta clubhouse

Loaded crisps: four recipes for the ‘perfect finger food’ – ranked from best to worst

Ready salted, prawn cocktail, pickled onion and smoky bacon – crisps are undoubtedly the nation’s favourite snack food, subject to a variety of staple and sometimes suspicious flavour varieties. According to one recent report, they were the UK’s snack of choice on 94% of “all consumption occasions”, often enjoyed with a complementary dip, or served in a packet ripped open on a pub table. But now, the humble bag of crisps is having a revamp.Enter: the loaded crisp bag. It’s a lot like loaded fries or nachos, in that it can be a vehicle for a whole gamut of flavours – as served, for example, at Pablos, a fast food outlet in Nottingham where anything from ground beef to molten cheese is dolloped into an opened bag of crisps

Actors, musicians and writers welcome UK U-turn on AI use of copyrighted work

Actors, musicians and writers have welcomed the UK government’s decision to backtrack on plans to let AI firms use copyright-protected work without permission.Technology secretary Liz Kendall said it no longer had a “preferred option” on copyright reform, having previously supported a proposal allowing tech companies to take copyrighted work – unless rights holders opted out of the process.“We have listened,” said Kendall on Wednesday, “we have engaged extensively with creatives, AI firms, industry bodies, unions, academics and AI adopters, and that engagement has shaped our approach. This is why we can confirm today that the government no longer has a preferred option.”The proposal had triggered a backlash from Elton John, who called the government “absolute losers” over the plans

The WNBA’s new labor deal explained: what it means for pay, power and the league’s future

The WNBA and its players’ union (WNBPA) have reached a verbal agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, ending 17 months of negotiations after players opted out of the previous deal and averting mounting fears of a strike.The agreement would be the sixth in league history and is being framed by both sides as a major step forward for player empowerment and the league’s growth.Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Wednesday the two sides have “aligned on key elements”, though a formal term sheet still needs to be finalized. Union leaders echoed that sentiment, calling the deal a reflection of players using their collective voice.Full details have not yet been released, and the agreement must still be ratified

Tips for downsizing recipes | Kitchen aide

Any tips for downsizing recipes to serve one? Dividing by the number of servings doesn’t always work.Melanie, by email“It’s often just common sense,” says Kitty Coles, author of Make More With Less, plus a little maths – though, as Melanie so wisely points out, you can’t always simply divide the ingredients and be done with it.First, you need to consider your cookware: “It’s really worth investing in smaller pans and a smaller skillet,” says Alexina Anatole, who is behind the Small Wins Substack. A tiny amount of liquid in a large pan, say, will get too much exposure to heat, so it’s very likely you’ll under- or overcook its contents. As Shelina Permalloo, author of What to Cook When Everyone’s Hungry, says, “The absorption method for rice is a nightmare if you’re using a wrong-sized pan