Sainsbury’s hopes to keep profits at £1bn amid price war; US Federal Reserve warns on inflation – business live

Sainsbury’s is the FTSE 100’s lead performer this morning, with its share price up 3.9%.That means that it has recovered all of the lost value last month when its share price plunged following Asda’s announcement that it intended to cut prices.Sainsbury’s share price was last at £2.57, compared with under £2

Sainsbury’s joins UK retailers’ £1bn profits club but warns of flat year ahead

Sainsbury’s has joined Tesco, Next and Marks & Spencer as one of a handful of retailers who have made £1bn in profits, but it does not expect to beat that figure this year amid rising costs and price competition.Simon Roberts, the chief executive of Sainsbury’s, indicated that the group was ready to take on Asda, which has pledged to cut prices in an attempt to win back market share, saying his business was “committed, above all else, to sustaining the strong competitive position we have built – consistently giving customers the great value they have come to expect”.The retailer also said it would be closing two of its five non-food warehouses to save £70m a year and introducing more technology to monitor self-service tills and help shoppers scan and pay for goods by themselves as the cost of labour has increased with changes to employers national insurance and an increase in the legal minimum wage. It said that 70% of its sales were now self-service up from 40% five years ago.The move is likely to hit jobs but Sainsbury’s did not say how many could be affected

Apple iPad Air M3 review: the premium tablet to beat

Apple’s iPad Air continues to be the premium tablet to beat, with the latest version featuring a chip upgrade to keep it ahead of the pack.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The new iPad Air M3 costs from £599 (€699/$599/A$999) – the same as its predecessor – and comes in two sizes with either an 11in or 13in screen

Spotify running again after users around world report problems

Tens of thousands of Spotify users around the world reported being unable to stream music on the app, which was hit by several hours of technical problems on Wednesday.Downdetector, which tracks platforms, showed more than 48,000 outage reports for Spotify worldwide on Wednesday afternoon.In the UK, the number of people reporting that Spotify was not functioning peaked at about 1.30pm BST, after problems began 30 minutes earlier. By 3pm, the number had fallen to about 10,000

A century at ringside: the Boxing Writers Association of America at 100

Born in boxing’s golden age and still swinging today, the BWAA has spent a century preserving the stories, sounds and spirits of the sportWhen the Boxing Writers Association of American holds its annual awards dinner in New York on 30 April, it will mark the organization’s 100th dinner and the start of its 100th year of existence.The Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York (as the BWAA was originally known) was founded by Damon Runyan, Paul Gallico, Ed Sullivan, Nat Fleischer, Edward J Neil and Wilbur Wood with the stated mission of improving conditions at boxing events for New York writers and their visiting colleagues.Babe Ruth headed the list of celebrities who attended the organization’s first dinner which was held at the Hotel Astor on 25 April 1926. Five of boxing’s eight world champions were there, as were writers from 20 cities. The New York Times trumpeted the keynote address given by New York City mayor James J Walker with the headline, “Keep Boxing Clean, is Mayor’s Warning

Hull KR and Hull FC savour local supremacy before top-of-table clash

With the clubs occupying first and second spot in the standings, the stakes are high for their Good Friday derbyNestled at the eastern tip of the M62, the city of Hull may sit on the very tip of British rugby league’s geographical landscape but, right now, it is the epicentre of Super League.Few cities are driven by a passion for rugby league quite like it. Both of the city’s clubs – Hull FC and Hull KR – have enjoyed spells in the upper echelons of Super League over the past 30 years but not since the early 80s, long before the advent of summer rugby, was there a time when both East Riding clubs were simultaneously competing for honours.No one in the city needs reminding about the importance of the traditional Good Friday meeting between the two sides but this season’s derby has added gravitas, given top spot is at stake in Super League as Rovers and Hull sit first and second respectively after a quarter of an engrossing season.Back in the early 80s, Roger Millward and Steve Norton led the Yorkshire clubs at the top of the game