Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for citrus and almond cake | The sweet spot
Anything bright and zingy is particularly welcome in January, even more so when it’s in the form of cake,I always have an odd end of marzipan after the festive season, and this is a great way to use it up and bring that cosy almond flavour,The marzipan gets blitzed into the butter for a plush-textured loaf cake, and comes together in minutes thanks to simply putting everything in a food processor,Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling Serves 8-10200g unsalted butter, softened125g marzipan 150g caster sugar Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange, plus 2 tbsp extra juice for the icingFinely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon3 large eggs 220g plain flour 50g ground almonds ¼ tsp fine sea salt 2 tsp baking powder 50g plain yoghurtTo finish100g icing sugar 40g toasted flaked almondsHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper,Put the butter and marzipan in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Add the sugar and orange and lemon zest, give the mix a quick pulse, then add the eggs and pulse again.Tip in the dry ingredients and pulse just until you have a smooth batter, then mix in the orange juice, reserving two tablespoons to make the icing, and the yoghurt until combined.Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.To make the icing, mix two tablespoons of orange juice with two tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl.
Put the icing sugar in a second bowl and add the citrus juice a tablespoon at a time, until the icing has a slightly thick but pourable consistency.Remove the cake from its tin, then pour over the icing.Top with the toasted flaked almonds and leave to set before slicing and serving.
Elon Musk had more extensive ties to Epstein than previously known, emails show
Elon Musk had more extensive – and more friendly – communications with the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously publicly known, according to documents released on Friday by the Department of Justice. Emails in the files appear to show the two cordially messaging each other on two separate occasions to make plans for Musk to visit Epstein’s island.The documents include Musk and Epstein emailing in both 2012 and 2013 to determine when Musk should make the trip to Little St James. Neither exchanges appear to have resulted in Musk visiting the island, due to logistical issues.“Will be in the BVI/St Bart’s area over the holidays
What good is a social media ban when screens are rife in classrooms? | Letters
Your recent coverage of children’s screen use (How screen time affects toddlers: ‘We’re losing a big part of being human’, 22 January) highlights an issue that still receives remarkably little attention: the amount of screen time built into the school day. While politicians debate bans on social media for under‑16s, and teachers report children trying to swipe the pages of books, it is puzzling that the question of screen time in schools is left out of discussions.Every morning, most primary school children are greeted by an electronic whiteboard glowing in the classroom, often left on all day. Lessons are delivered as slides, tablets are used for activities, and many schools require homework to be completed online.When it rains, “wet play” means more screen‑based entertainment
AI-generated news should carry ‘nutrition’ labels, thinktank says
AI-generated news should carry “nutrition” labels and tech companies must pay publishers for the content they use, according to a left-of-centre thinktank, amid rising use of the technology as a source for current affairs.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said AI firms were rapidly emerging as the new “gatekeepers” of the internet and intervention was needed to create a healthy AI news environment.It recommended standardised labels for AI-generated news, showing what information had been used to create those answers, including peer-reviewed studies and articles from professional news organisations. It also urged the establishment of a licensing regime in the UK allowing publishers to negotiate with tech companies over the use of their content in AI news.“If AI companies are going to profit from journalism and shape what the public sees, they must be required to pay fairly for the news they use and operate under clear rules that protect plurality, trust and the long-term future of independent journalism,” said Roa Powell, senior research fellow at IPPR and the report’s co-author
Apple reports massive spike in iPhone revenue, particularly in China
Apple released its first quarter earnings on Thursday, exceeding Wall Street’s expectations and seeing its revenue skyrocket 16% from the same time last year.“Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8bn,” Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment.”The tech titan’s reported revenue went far beyond analyst’s forecasts of $138
US regulators open inquiry into Waymo self-driving car that struck child in California
The US’s federal transportation regulator said Thursday it had opened an investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in southern California last week, causing minor injuries.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the child in Santa Monica ran across the street on 23 January from behind a double parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Waymo autonomous vehicle during normal school drop-off hours. The agency said there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.The federal agency is opening a preliminary evaluation to investigate whether the Waymo AV exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the elementary school during drop-off hours, and the presence of young pedestrians and other potential vulnerable road users. The agency said it plans to examine the vehicle’s “intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick up/drop off times, including but not limited to its adherence to posted speed limits” and will “also investigate Waymo’s post-impact response”
UK-based pair behind messaging app accused of giving data to Iranian regime
The creators of a messaging app accused of handing user data to the Iranian regime live on a windswept hill in a British coastal town, the Guardian can reveal.Hadi and Mahdi Anjidani are the cofounders of TS Information Technology, established in 2010 and now registered at the address of a tax accountancy in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. It is the UK branch of an Iranian software corporation, Towse’e Saman Information Technology (TSIT).The company makes popular computer games, a payment platform capable of helping Iranians skirt sanctions, and Gap Messenger, a sleek purple messaging app billed as an Iranian alternative to Telegram.But while Gap’s public profile says the app is encrypted and does not share its data with third parties, Iranian digital rights experts say their investigations contradict those claims
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