Milka maker milked shoppers over size of chocolate bars, German court rules

Many chocolate lovers consider shrinkflation a serious crime – and they have been vindicated after a German court ruled that the makers of Milka cheated consumers by cutting the bar’s size, while keeping the wrapper the same.The three-week case in a regional court was brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office. It accused the chocolate brand’s US owner Mondelēz of deceiving shoppers by cutting the weight of Milka’s classic Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering the distinctive purple packaging.Shrinkflation, where product sizes are reduced but prices stay the same (or even go up), has become all too common as manufacturers try to offset rising business and ingredient costs.After last year’s changes, the Milka bar was a millimetre thinner and the price increased from €1

Global oil inventories falling at record pace amid Iran war; US producer price inflation hits four-year high – as it happened

Global oil stocks are being run down at a record pace as supply losses mount due to the ongoing Iran war, the International Energy Agency has warned.In its latest outlook report, the IEA reports that global oil inventories fell by 129 million barrels in March, and by a further 117 million barrels in April, as countries dipped into their reserves to cover the shortfall following the Middle East conflict.The IEA, which ordered the largest release of government oil reserves in its history in mid-March, reports:double quotation markMore than ten weeks after the war in the Middle East began, mounting supply losses from the Strait of Hormuz are depleting global oil inventories at a record pace.The IEA also forecasts weaker demand this year, as the jump in prices for crude oil and refined products leads to demand destruction.World oil demand is forecast to contract by 420,000 barrels per day this year, to 104m bpd, which is 1

Nissan ponders building cars for Chinese rivals at Sunderland plant

Nissan’s chief executive has confirmed he would consider building cars for other manufacturers at the UK’s largest car factory in Sunderland, amid talks with China’s Chery.Ivan Espinosa said Nissan was “looking at options” for Sunderland and its 6,000 workers as the struggling Japanese carmaker on Wednesday reported steep losses for the year to March.Nissan announced last week it was closing one of its two production lines at Sunderland, in north-east England, because of faltering demand for its vehicles. However, it has held talks to produce vehicles on behalf of Chery, according to industry sources. Chery is pushing aggressively into the UK and Europe with its Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda brands

Lab testing group Intertek to back £10.6bn takeover by Swedish firm EQT

The laboratory testing company Intertek has become the latest FTSE 100 business to agree to a takeover, backing a £10.6bn approach from a private equity firm owned by Sweden’s billionaire Wallenberg family.After rebuffing three previous approaches, Intertek’s board said it was “minded to recommend” the £60-a-share tilt from the Swedish buyout firm EQT to shareholders, if there was a firm offer.The deal is worth £10.6bn including debt, or £9

UK housebuilder Vistry warns of ‘significantly’ lower profits amid Iran war uncertainty

One of the UK’s biggest housebuilders has said its profits will be “significantly” lower, as it was forced to cut prices after heightened uncertainty caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.Vistry’s shares plunged 10.5% in early trading on Wednesday, hitting their lowest level in nearly 15 years, as it told shareholders its first-half profits would be hit by the fallout from the Middle East conflict.In a stock market update hours before its annual general meeting, the housebuilder, which owns Bovis Homes, Countryside and Linden Homes, said circumstances had changed since it last updated investors in March. It said: “The level of macroeconomic uncertainty has increased, and with it the range of potential outcomes for the current year

How new owner became all powerful in ‘high stakes’ attempt to revive former WH Smith chain

Shoppers at WH Smith were once accustomed to being offered cheap chocolate stacked high at the counter while buying their morning newspaper. Now, the chain’s former high street stores have themselves become the subject of a cut-price deal – as the low-profile investment group that snapped them up appears set to pay less than half of the original cash price.The paperclips to books chain had notched up 233 years on the British high street when it was bought by Modella Capital last summer.In less than a year, the future looks very different for the chain, which was hastily rebranded to TG Jones. First established in Little Grosvenor Street in London by Henry Walton Smith and his wife, Anna, WH Smith grew rapidly in the 19th century, building a newspaper distribution business as the railway network expanded

JP Morgan could scrap £3bn London HQ if Starmer is replaced by PM ‘hostile to banks’

The boss of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, has warned he could scrap plans to build a new £3bn UK headquarters in London if Keir Starmer is replaced by a new Labour prime minister who is hostile to banks.JP Morgan revealed plans last November to build the tower in Canary Wharf, hours after lenders were spared tax hikes in Rachel Reeves’s autumn budget following strong lobbying by the banking sector.Dimon said the US bank could look past the current political instability around Starmer’s future in No 10, which has roiled bond markets and sent domestic bank shares plunging.However, he warned that plans to build the bank’s new HQ – which will house more than half of its 23,000 UK staff – could be reversed if a new leader were to target lenders.He told Bloomberg TV during an interview in Paris on Tuesday that construction plans would be threatened “not [by] political instability, but if they become hostile to banks again”

Investor jitters over Starmer uncertainty drive UK borrowing costs to 28-year high

Long-term UK borrowing costs soared to the highest level in almost three decades on Tuesday as fears about a change of Labour leadership triggered investor jitters and warnings of further bond market turmoil.With investors worried about potential changes to Labour’s tax and spending plans, the yield – in effect the interest rate – on 30-year government bonds, or gilts, hit a high on Tuesday of 5.81%, a rise of 14 basis points and the highest since 1998.Neil Wilson, an investor strategist at Saxo Markets, said: “We could see a blowout in longer-dated gilts if this turns into a dogfight – political, fiscal and inflationary risks will rise. Markets tend to dislike a lack of certainty over who runs a government; the fiscal position is already fragile and likely to become worse should a left-leaning ticket prioritise spending, and that makes inflation stickier

GameStop hits the limits of credibility with $55.5bn eBay bid | Nils Pratley

“Neither credible nor attractive.” No, not a line from a junior minister’s resignation letter on Tuesday. It was eBay’s succinct appraisal of the bizarre $55.5bn (£41bn) takeover offer from video games retailer GameStop, an affair that offers light distraction from the sight of UK 10-year gilt yields at 5%-plus.To recap: GameStop is the “meme stock” company that became famous a few years ago when amateur traders on a Reddit forum piled in furiously in an attempt to burn the short-sellers who were betting on the struggling retailer’s demise

UK long-term borrowing costs dip from 28-year high after Starmer allies back PM – as it happened

After a rocky session, UK government bond prices were significantly lower as trading drew to an end in London.That shows that the day of political drama, as Keir Starmer fought off efforts to make him step down, have pushed up UK borrowing costs as the markets anticipated the possibility of a more left-wing successor.The UK 10-year bond yield, which hit its highest since 2008 this morning at 5.13%, has eased back to 5.1%, up from 5% yesterday (that’s a rise of 10 basis points)

US inflation jumped to 3.8% in April as war with Iran continues to drive up prices

US inflation jumped to 3.8% in April as the war in the Middle East continued to drive energy prices and everyday costs for Americans.Prices rose 3.8% over the last year, according to the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest jump since 2023.This is the second official measure of the consumer price index, which measures the price of a basket of goods and services, since the start of the war with Iran

Lotus boss calls for UK government support as it commits to Norfolk plant

The boss of the luxury sports carmaker Lotus has called for government support for its UK factory as the Chinese-owned company insisted it will not abandon its British roots.Lotus said it had extended the lifespan of the £80,000 Emira petrol-engined sports car, made by 900 employees in its factory in Norfolk, in order for the brand to continue to serve the US market.Lotus last year prompted concerns for the future of its British factory, after sources said its Chinese parent company, Geely, was considering its closure. Lotus then cut 550 jobs in August.However, Lotus on Tuesday said it wanted to increase sales in the lucrative US market, meaning it will have to rely on sports car sales from its UK factory rather than electric SUVs from its newer, larger facility in Wuhan, China, which faces prohibitive tariffs

How to make arancini – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Before I wrote this recipe, it hadn’t occurred to me that the word “arancini” means “little oranges”, and, plump, round and golden as they are, it makes sense, too. Indeed, these robust rice balls, which are said to have come to Sicily with Arab invaders in the 10th century, are now, according to the late Antonio Carluccio, the local equivalent of a sandwich lunch.Prep 25 min Cook 45 min Makes 8 large ballsFor the risotto700ml chicken stock, or vegetable stock100ml white wine (optional)250g short-grain rice (eg, arborio)½ tsp salt, plus extra to season1 very generous pinch saffron (optional)50g parmesan, or grano padano or vegetarian alternative, gratedBlack pepperFor the arancini2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk100g mozzarella, drained and cut into chunksOptional other fillings of your choice – meat ragu, pesto, sauteed mushrooms, wilted or defrosted greens170g plain flour 250g fine dried breadcrumbs (preferably not panko)Neutral oil, for fryingFlaky sea salt, to finish (optional)Risotto is a northern Italian dish, so Sicilian arancini weren’t designed with it in mind, but they are great vehicles for risotto leftovers. My recipe is intended for 700g cooked rice, but adjust the fillings and coating according to what you have; these are also a great way to repurpose small amounts of ragu, cooked vegetables, fish or meat.If you’re cooking the rice from scratch, put the stock and wine (or substitute 100ml extra stock, if you prefer) in a medium pan and bring to a boil – I like chicken stock, because I find it the most neutrally savoury, but use whatever suits the fillings you’re using

Mitsu, London EC2: ‘Determinedly fun and delicious’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

No spoilers, but I knew even before I’d reached for my chopsticks that Mitsu would be a vast improvement on its predecessor, because it has taken the place of Nobu Shoreditch in the under-gusset of the Aethos hotel, a Swiss-owned “lifestyle hospitality brand”, in east London. Nobu was gargantuan, moodily lit (that is, pitch black), woundingly expensive and terrifically hard to book, despite having something like 797 seats; it was also one of the most soulless London restaurants of the past 25 years. Nobu Shoreditch felt symbolic: it was where all the raffish hope of the 1990s YBA crowd and the early noughties electroclash heads went to die.But that was then, and now, in 2026, the Aethos crew has deftly brightened and lightened the mood of the room, making it actually cosy and adding a twinkly central bar; there’s an open robata kitchen and roomy booths, as well as a pretty Japanese garden. Mitsu calls itself an izakaya, which is what European restaurateurs always say when they mean the Japanese-influenced food isn’t too po-faced and you can get really tipsy on sake

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for Mexican-style vanilla bean flan | The sweet spot

I started the year in one of my favourite places: Mexico City. I’ve since become one of those annoying people who finds a way to bring it up in nearly every conversation, so please indulge me just this once! Each time I’ve been to Mexico, I develop a new fixation, and this year I ate a considerable amount of flan. It’s seen as a bit of a retro dish here in the UK, and perhaps a little divisive, but I love it.Mexican-style flan is typically made with condensed milk, giving it a gorgeous, silky, creamy texture. I’ve also added plenty of vanilla – brought back from my trip, of course

How to match wine with vegetables

At a recent tasting, I got chatting to a winemaker from Australia’s Clare Valley as I bravely made my way through his wares: a ripe, leathery shiraz and a deep, dark cabernet sauvignon that put me in mind of blackcurrant bushes. These were serious wines – and good value, too. A generation ago, such gutsy New World reds were all the rage, but now, lamented the winemaker, gen Z was more interested in lighter, cooler-climate wines, lower on the alcohol and brighter on the palate.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

‘Restaurants won’t survive’: Michelin chef opens venues abroad to withstand UK taxes

A British Michelin-starred chef says he is opening restaurants abroad to subsidise his UK venues against a backdrop of high taxes and a struggling hospitality sector.Jason Atherton is now in Forte dei Marmi, on the Tuscan coast in Italy, where he is preparing his newest opening, Maria’s, which will be in the Principessa hotel. The Sheffield-born chef now has restaurants all over the world, including in Dubai and St Moritz.He said he was finding it easier to make a profit in countries with more forgiving policies towards restaurants, pubs and bars. “I am trying to sustain our business by opening abroad

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for spring chicken thighs with spring onions, mint and peas | A kitchen in Rome

The weather lately has been as temperamental as peas in pods. But peas are even harder to read than the sky: some pods contain sweet things no bigger than peppercorns, which explode when you bite them; the contents of others, however, are closer to small ball bearings, their size very likely a sign that all the natural sucrose has been metabolised and transformed to pea starch. The best thing for the tiny ones is to snack on them alongside a bit of cheese, whereas the path for big ones is the same as for dried peas, so pea and ham soup or a long-simmered puree.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Navel gazing: oranges, mandarins and persimmons top Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for May

“Sweet, low seed and great for snacking” imperial mandarins have just started their season, says Josh Flamminio, owner and buyer at Sydney’s Galluzzo Fruiterers. The tangy-sweet citrus is selling for between $2.99 and $3.99 a kilo in major supermarkets. At Galluzzo, Queensland-grown imperial mandarins are $3

How to save asparagus trimmings from the food-waste bin – recipe | Waste not

Asparagus butts are a particularly tricky byproduct to tame because they’re so fibrous. I usually cut them very finely (into 5mm-thick discs, or even thinner), then boil, puree and pass them through a sieve (as in my green goddess salad dressing and asparagus soup), but even then you’ll still end up with a fair bit of fibrous waste. Enter asparagus-butt butter: a recipe that defies all odds, making the impossible possible by transforming a tough offcut into an intense compound butter that’s perfect for grilling or frying asparagus spears themselves, or for eggs, bread, gnocchi or whatever you can think of. The short fibres brown and caramelise in the butter, and in the process become the highlight of the dish, rather than the problem.This transforms an unwanted byproduct into an intense expression of the plant’s flavour

Thoran and chaat: Romy Gill’s Indian-style asparagus recipes

Spring’s first asparagus always feels like a celebration, but there’s so much more to cooking those spears than just butter and lemon. Here, those tender stems combine with bold Indian flavours in two playful dishes. The thoran, inspired by Keralan home cooking, involves stir-frying asparagus with coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves to create something warm and comforting (my friend Simi’s mum always used to drizzle it with a little lemon juice to give the flavours a lift). The chaat, meanwhile, tossed with tangy tamarind, yoghurt, spices, crunchy chickpeas and sweet pomegranate, is a delicious snack or side. Together, they show how versatile asparagus can be: easy to cook, vibrant and moreish even in unexpected culinary traditions

Australian supermarket sauerkraut taste test: one is ‘like eating the smell of McDonald’s pickle’

It’s ‘Gut Coachella’ for Nicholas Jordan and friends, who blind taste a line-up of 20 shredded and fermented cabbage productsIf you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us todayGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI cannot tell you how many times I’ve been introduced to a fatty, salty hunk of meat and thought, “my god, I’m going to need a pickle”. I feel the same eating cheese toasties or deli sandwiches with rich mayo-based sauces. Where is the pickle, hot sauce, citrus or ferment? Even the most savoury, juicy slab of umami is a bit much without acidity to balance it.What is the point of sauerkraut without acidity? It’s just wet, salty cabbage, and what is that for, other than deflating my spirits and inflating my gastrointestinal system? Sauerkraut should be sour; it’s the hallmark of the very thing that created it – fermentation.Why am I saying all this? After eight friends and I tasted 21 supermarket sauerkrauts, I was shocked to find some lacked not just acidity but any vigour at all

Fears for spears: how to cook asparagus without blanching | Kitchen aide

I always blanch asparagus, but how else can I cook it?Joe, via email“Blanching captures that green, verdant nature of asparagus so well, and saves its minerality, too,” agrees Bart Stratfold of Timberyard in Edinburgh, but when the season is going full tilt, it’s just common sense to expand our horizons. For Billy Stock, chef/owner of the Wellington in Margate, that means salads, especially with spears that are really fresh: “Use a peeler to shave thin strips off the raw asparagus, and use them in a delicious variation on salade Niçoise.”Another approach would be the grill, Stratfold says: “Coat the spears in rapeseed oil, then grill on an excruciatingly high heat for just a few seconds, until they develop some char.” After that, he rolls them in a tray of vinegar or preserves: “At the restaurant, that’s usually sweet pickled elderflower and elderflower vinegar.”Joe could even abandon the kitchen altogether

Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for spanakopita orzo | Quick and easy

For me, it isn’t really spring until the first May bank holiday; the days are longer, the flowers are out, and an abundance of green graces our shelves. This spanakopita orzo is a celebration of all things light, bright and spring. It’s a great weeknight dinner that will instantly transport you to Greece.This dish should be oozy, like a good risotto, so if your orzo absorbs all the stock, add a little more hot water to give it that requisite creamy finish.Prep 15 minCook 25 min Serves 425g butter 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced220g baby leaf spinach, chopped1