Leeds £2.5bn tram scheme delayed to late 2030s after government review

The opening of the long-awaited Leeds tram system has been pushed back by at least two to three years, after a government review of the £2.5bn project.The West Yorkshire combined authority (WYCA) said its mass transit scheme, including new tram lines connecting Leeds and Bradford, would now be completed in the late 2030s.West Yorkshire’s mayor, Tracy Brabin, said she was fully confident that she would be “driving this tram” by the end of the next decade, despite fears that the delay could lead to the whole scheme being cancelled.She said the new timeline would “help offer certainty” for the tram at the heart of plans for an integrated transport network with the region’s buses, which are being brought under local control

US prices continued to rise despite Trump claims they are ‘rapidly’ falling

US prices rose 2.7% in the year to November, according to federal data released a day after Donald Trump claimed they were falling “very fast” on his watch.The latest consumer price index, released on Wednesday morning, was down from 3% in September, and short of economists’ expectations of about 3.1% for last month.It comes amid questions over the strength of the US economy

US activist investor urges Whitbread review after budget tax changes

The owner of Premier Inn is facing calls from an American activist investor to rethink its business strategy, just weeks after the company warned the budget would cost it up to £50m next year.Corvex, a New York-based hedge fund, told Whitbread it should begin a strategic review as it braces for big tax rises next year after changes announced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.“Following the recently announced UK budget and changes to rateable values and business rates, we believe the company should undertake a strategic review to assess its capital allocation priorities and overall strategic direction,” the fund said in a statement.Whitbread, which also owns the restaurant chains Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, has been squeezed by higher costs this year due to higher wage bills and rising food prices. The FTSE 100 company is expected to come under further pressure as changes to the way business rates are calculated come into effect next year

Bank of England cuts interest rates to 3.75% in pre-Christmas boost for struggling economy

The Bank of England has cut interest rates by a quarter point, giving a pre-Christmas boost to the struggling UK economy, but a split vote among its rate-setters pointed to continued concerns about inflation.The Bank’s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) opted by five votes to four to reduce its key base rate from 4% to 3.75%, signalling that it now expects inflation to be “closer” to the 2% target in the first quarter of the new year.But minutes of the committee’s meeting cast doubt on the pace of any further rate cuts, with the Bank’s governor, Andrew Bailey, saying future decisions would be a “closer call”. It is the sixth rate cut since Labour came to power last year

Waterstones and Barnes & Noble owner looks to list booksellers on stock market

The owner of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble is reportedly preparing to list the booksellers on the stock market.Elliott Investment Management, the hedge fund that owns the most popular bookstores in the US and the UK, has spoken to potential advisers about an initial public offering (IPO), the Financial Times reported.The multibillion-pound group is thought to prefer London over New York for the listing, which could be a welcome boost to the UK stock market.While initial talks are under way, no final decisions have been made and the plans could change.The company’s financial year ends in April, which makes an IPO unlikely until after the summer at the earliest, the FT reported, citing unnamed sources close to the matter

BP names Meg O’Neill as new CEO after incumbent ousted

BP’s board has appointed its first female chief executive in a move to revive the oil company’s fortunes, after ousting Murray Auchincloss less than two years into his role.In an unexpected leadership shake-up, Auchincloss will step down as chief executive with immediate effect, but remain in an advisory role until the end of next year.Auchincloss will be succeeded by Meg O’Neill, a former ExxonMobil executive and the head of the Australian oil company Woodside Energy. Carol Howle, BP’s head of trading, will run the firm until O’Neill takes up the top job in April.The incoming oil boss will be BP’s first female chief executive in its 116-year history, and the first woman to head any of the world’s top five oil companies

UK government plays down reports of plan to bring EV sales target review forward

The government has played down reports that it is planning to bring forward the publication of a review of electric vehicle sales targets from 2027 to next year amid concerns from the car industry.The government had said in April it would weaken its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate – which was brought in to force carmakers to sell more electric cars every year or face the prospect of steep fines – after lobbying from the car industry, and planned to review the targets.“The ZEV mandate review starts next year … and of course we’d want to complete that review as quickly as we can,” the industry minister, Chris McDonald, told the Financial Times.However, a government spokesperson later said that only “preparatory work” would begin next year, with the review itself due to be published in 2027.Carmakers had argued the rules were economically unsustainable, leading the UK to introduce “flexibilities”, which allowed them to earn “credits” by selling hybrid cars, which combine a smaller battery with a petrol engine

Ineos chemicals plant is saved – but what is the strategy for the rest of heavy industry? | Nils Pratley

“Our commitment is clear: to back British industry, to stand by hardworking families, and to ensure places like Grangemouth can thrive for years to come,” said Keir Starmer as the Ineos ethylene plant on the Firth of Forth was saved for the nation with the help of £120m of public money.Is the commitment clear, though? What, precisely, does the prime minister mean by “places like Grangemouth”? Which heavy industries and plants is the government pledging to shield from the forces of sky-high energy prices and carbon taxes? Is there a strategy here? Or does intervention happen only at the 11th hour when an important plant is threatened with imminent closure and ministers panic about knock-on consequences?The ethylene plant at Grangemouth, we now know, falls within the protected camp. The government is willing to suffer any embarrassment that comes with handing a financial support package to a company controlled by a foreign-based billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.On the other hand, the oil refinery on the site was allowed to close this year and be switched to an import terminal. Meanwhile, the ethylene plant up the road at Mossmorran – a place quite like Grangemouth, one might think – is due to be shut by its owner, ExxonMobil, in February after talks with ministers came to nothing

Reeves defends Grangemouth intervention; Warner Bros urges investors to reject $108bn Paramount bid – as it happened

The UK chancellor has said that the case for intervening to save the Ineos chemical plant in Grangemouth was “compelling”.The government is investing £120m to save the UK’s last ethylene plant at Grangemouth, in a deal expected to protect more than 500 jobs.Rachel Reeves talked of a “genuine partnership” and said the government had been in discussions “over the last few weeks and months”. She vowed to protect British industry, and said this was vital for Britain’s national security.Visiting Grangemouth in Scotland with Peter Kyle, the business secretary, Reeves said:There are loads of things that government can’t do, but there are also some things that business can’t do, and that is why you need a partnership, and indeed, with the workers and the trade unions to be able to have a sort of sustainable model for the future

The stats don’t lie. Australia’s tax system is designed to benefit the wealthiest and the rest of us pay for it | Greg Jericho

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal just how much an average Australian earns. Being “rich” might not see you living like a Kardashian but we need to acknowledge that earning more than 90% of people puts you in the top 10%, and that much of the tax system is geared to benefit you.Asking who is rich is a question that can send shivers down the spines of politicians.I’ve encountered more than a few progressives who are at pains to protest that they are not rich despite being on a very good wicket. They immediately reel off their CV of working-class roots as though they are worried someone is about to accuse them they came from Greece with a thirst for knowledge

Paddy Power and Betfair to pay £2m settlement after failing to protect users

Paddy Power and Betfair have reached a £2m settlement with the gambling industry regulator over social responsibility failings, including allowing one customer to bet for nearly eight hours solid.The Gambling Commission said the online betting and gaming brands, which are owned by Flutter Entertainment, had fallen “far short” of what was expected during a routine compliance assessment performed in 2024.Systems that were supposed to detect early indicators that gamblers may be experiencing harm and trigger checks on their wellbeing were found to have been insufficiently sensitive, resulting in late intervention.Failings identified by the Gambling Commission included one customer being allowed to stake £86,000 over a 16-day period, during which time they lost £6,000.“Despite the high velocity of spend, no manual review of the account took place,” the regulator said

Warner Bros reportedly poised to reject Paramount’s $108bn hostile takeover bid

Warner Bros Discovery is poised to tell shareholders to reject Paramount’s $108bn (£81bn) hostile bid, according to reports, clearing the way for Netflix to proceed with its buyout of the Hollywood film and TV group.The board could announce a decision as early as Wednesday after Paramount Skydance – run by David Ellison and bankrolled by his billionaire father, Larry, who founded Oracle – went directly to shareholders with its rival offer almost two weeks ago.Netflix had won the auction for the studio and streaming company with an $82.7bn bid a few days earlier – taking control of prize assets including the Harry Potter and DC Comics superhero film franchises, as well as HBO, home to hit shows including Game of Thrones, The White Lotus and Succession.The streaming company’s deal does not cover WBD’s cable channels, which include CNN, TBS and TNT, which are set to be spun off into a separate company next year

How to turn excess yoghurt into a silky-smooth dessert – recipe | Waste not

A delicious, gelatine-free panna cotta that saves yoghurt from the waste binI was really shocked to learn from environmental action NGO Wrap that, of the 51,000 tonnes of yoghurt that’s wasted in the UK every year, half of it is in unopened pots! The reason is our old arch enemy, date labels, which can cause confusion and trick us into thinking that perfectly safe yoghurt is not OK to eat. That’s one reason many supermarkets have scrapped use-by dates on the likes of yoghurt, but they still use best-before dates. Remember, if a product doesn’t have a use-by date, always do the sniff test before throwing it away.Today’s recipe is a light, gelatine-free version of panna cotta that’s instead set with agar agar (a type of seaweed), which gives it a soft-set texture. It’s refreshing, deliciously sour and simple to make

Benjamina Ebuehi’s pistachio and cherry meringue cake recipe | The sweet spot

I’m switching up my usual Christmas pavlova this year for a slightly different but equally delicious meringue-based dessert. Discs of pistachio meringue are baked until crisp, then layered with pistachio cream and cherry compote. The meringue softens a little under the cream as it sits, giving it a pleasingly chewy, cake-like texture. A very good option if you’re after a Christmas dessert without chocolate, alcohol or dried fruit.Thanks to the viral Dubai chocolate bar, pistachio creme is quite easy to come by in most supermarkets these days; it’s already sweetened and brings a lovely, soft green colour

Australian supermarket canned peaches taste test: the winner has an ‘absurdly low price’

In a blind taste test, Nicholas Jordan tastes 14 peaches in cans and plastic jars, in juice and syrup – but only one brand is worthy of decorating a pavlovaIf you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us todayGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailBefore this taste test, it had probably been 20 years since I last ate a canned peach. But unlike most things that happened 20 years ago, I have a strong memory of the experience. Canned, tinned or any packaged peaches weren’t a staple of my childhood (neither were fresh peaches – I was too fussy to like much except plain carbs, sausages, apples and ice-cream). But somehow I remember not only eating tinned peaches but loving them, soft like panna cotta and as syrupy as a gulab jamun. Not quite the same as a fresh peach but delicious in a different way

All about the baby cheeses: how to curate a festive cheeseboard to remember

What should I serve on my Christmas cheeseboard?David, via emailIt will come as no surprise that Mathew Carver, founder of Pick & Cheese, The Cheese Barge and Rind, eats a lot of cheese, so in an effort to keep his festive selection interesting, he usually focuses on a specific area or region: “Last year, for instance, I spent Christmas in Scotland and served only local cheese.” Wales is up later this month. “I’m a creature of habit and tend always to go back to the cheeses I love, so this strategy makes me try new ones,” he explains – plus there’s nothing to stop you slipping in a classic such as comté in there too, because, well, Christmas.Unless you’re going for “the baller move” of just serving one glorious cheese, Bronwen Percival, technical director of Neal’s Yard Dairy, would punt for three or four “handsome wedges, rather than slivers of too many options”. After all, few have “the time or attention for a board that needs a lot of explaining”

Georgina Hayden’s recipe for pear, sticky ginger and pecan pudding

While our Christmas Day dinner doesn’t deviate too much from tradition, I do experiment with the dessert. My family, bar one sweet-toothed aunt, avoids dried fruit-based offerings, so classic Christmas cakes and puddings are a hard no. Over the years, I have tried variations on yule logs, pavlovas and sherry trifles, but the biggest crowdpleaser is easily sticky toffee pudding (or something along those lines). This year, I’m making this warming, simple but decadent pear, sticky ginger and pecan pudding, which feels festive and fancy, and can happily make an appearance whenever.This can be made the day before and reheated before serving

How to make nesselrode pudding – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

A luxurious iced dessert stuffed full of boozy dried fruit, candied peel and frozen chestnut pureeThis festive, frozen chestnut puree dessert is often credited to the great 19th-century chef Antonin Carême, even though the man himself conceded that this luxurious creation was that of Monsieur Mony, chef to the Russian diplomat Count Nesselrode (albeit, he observed somewhat peevishly, inspired by one of his own chestnut puddings). It was originally served with hot, boozy custard – though I think it’s just enough as it is – and it makes a fabulous Christmas centrepiece,Prep 15 min Soak Overnight Cook 20 min Freeze 2 hr+ Serves 6125g currants, or raisins or sultanas50g good-quality candied peel, finely chopped75ml maraschino, or other sweet alcohol of your choice (see step 2)1 vanilla pod, split, or 1 tsp vanilla extract600ml whipping cream 4 egg yolks 50g caster sugar 45g flaked almonds 125g whole peeled cooked chestnuts, or unsweetened chestnut pureePut the fruit and peel in a bowl. Mony’s recipe is reported to have contained currants and raisins (though other vine fruit, or indeed any chopped dried fruit you prefer, will work), as well as candied citron, the peel of a mild, thick-skinned citrus, which is available online, as are other candied peels that are far nicer than those chewy, greasy nubs sold in supermarkets.Add the alcohol: maraschino, an Italian sour cherry liqueur, is the original choice, but Claire Macdonald uses an orange triple sec, Victorian ice queen Agnes B Marshall brandy and noyaux, an almond-flavoured liqueur made from apricot kernels, and Regula Ysewijn mixes maraschino with dark rum. Madeira, sherry, port, etc, would surely be good, too

Festive food for less: Christmas dinner with all the cost trimmings

Figures show that the total cost of the all-important Christmas dinner is up 5% on a year ago, with the price of important elements such as pigs in blankets and stuffing up by 7%.With the cost of living still biting, however, a supermarket price war is taking some of the sting out of high food costs – with Aldi and Lidl selling the ingredients for a main Christmas meal for eight for less than £12.According to exclusive data prepared for Guardian Money by the analysts Assosia, the price of a frozen extra-large turkey is up 10p a kilogram to £3.70 (a 3% rise on a year ago) – which for an 8kg bird works out at £29.60

The 12 condiments of Christmas

Salt, sweet, bitter, acid, umami. While we don’t think to use too much “sweet” before dessert, it can counterbalance and enhance other flavours. Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice during the holidays because it just tastes cozy. Add it to roasted root vegetables or a poultry glaze, and it’s especially tasty in drinks, from hot apple cider to eggnog and even mulled wine.I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like butter, or ooh and ah at a homemade one

‘Every chef should train here’: Turkish restaurant ranks fourth on list of London’s top food spots

On a list of London’s best restaurants, you would expect to see the usual Michelin-starred suspects such as The Ledbury, Ikoyi and The Ritz. But high among these culinary heavyweights sits a humble salonu tucked away in the depths of north London.Neco Tantuni, a small Turkish eatery specialising in the foodie delights of Mersin, a city located on the southern coast of Turkey, has been crowned the fourth best restaurant in London by Vittles, the trendy food magazine that has become a bible for those looking for the best (and more off-the-radar) grub in the capital.“I’m totally shocked,” says Eren Kaya, whose parents hard graft has resulted in their restaurant, situated in a far-flung corner of Enfield, being placed near the top of the 99-strong list.The small shop, which was a greasy spoon cafe before being transformed into the hugely popular food hotspot, hasn’t fully shed the character of its former self

Ho, ho, Hamburg: bringing the flavours of a true German Christmas market home

From glühwein to lebkuchen, bratwurst to stollen, recreating the delicacies I sampled in the city’s festive markets is wholly achievable. Plus, a new digital cookbook for a good cause Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, FeastWithout wanting to sound tediously Scrooge-like, the German-style markets that have become seasonal fixtures in many British cities over the last few decades never make me feel particularly festive. What’s remotely Christmassy – or German – about Dubai-chocolate churros and Korean fried chicken, I grumble as I drag the dog (who enjoys all such things) around their perimeters.Hamburg’s markets, however, which I was myself dragged around last weekend, are a very different story. For a start, the city has many of them, mainly fairly small – and some, such as the “erotic Christmas market” in St Pauli, with a particular theme

Christmas gift ideas for drinks lovers, from champagne to canned cocktails

Don’t get pulled in by silly gadgets: buy presents you’d be happy to receive yourselfThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Alcohol is an unavoidable part of a festive spread (for more advice on which wines, beers and other drinks I like for each and every occasion, take a look at last week’s Christmas drinks guide), but, sometimes, a drink deserves a place under the tree as well as around it – especially if it’s an easy win for a drinks devotee for whom you need to buy a prezzie.The Guardian’s journalism is independent

Nine bring-a-plate ideas for Christmas drinks, barbecues and dinner parties this summer – recipes

Like nibblies, the concept of bringing a plate to a social event or a host’s home can be deeply confusing across cultures and generations. Are you carting canapes? Are you slinging salad? Are you delivering dessert? If we’ve learned anything from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, it’s that communication is key. So if you’re unsure about what your host expects, just ask.Below are nine summer-friendly recipes to suit various bring-a-plate scenarios: one-bite snacks that go with cocktails, salads to bring to barbecues and make-ahead dessert for dinner parties, arranged in each category from easiest to most ambitious.And if time is seriously short, you could throw together a pleasingly arranged antipasto-ish plate comprised of Guardian Australia’s top supermarket taste test products: crackers, feta, salami and pickles