Shrinkflation takes a bite out of Easter eggs as shoppers pay more for less

Shoppers are shelling out for smaller eggs again this Easter as shrinkflation takes another bite out of the favourite seasonal treat.The price of popular branded chocolate eggs has risen by more than 40% in some cases while some have also shrunk in size, according to research by the consumer champion Which?.At Asda, this year the Galaxy milk chocolate extra large Easter egg is £5.97 and weighs in at 210g. That compares with £4

Markets keep the faith – but oil staying above $100 could test that optimism | Nils Pratley

Was it only at the new year that the fanfare was heard for the FTSE 100 index breaking through 10,000 for the first time? It was – on 2 January – and the index then added another 900 points by the end of February. On Thursday, the Footsie briefly fell below that round number as Iran struck Qatar’s enormous Ras Laffan complex, which normally supplies a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, before closing at 10,063, down 2.3% on the day.There are two ways to view that price action. One is to say the sharp reversal from the peak represents a necessarily severe reaction to the war on Iran

Why is the FBI buying people’s location data and how is it using the information?

Kash Patel’s disclosure Wednesday that the FBI has resumed buying location data on Americans has many people, including members of Congress, wondering: how does private information get into the hands of the US government in the first place – and how can federal law enforcement use that information to track peoples’ whereabouts?Federal law enforcement agencies generally must obtain a warrant, which requires establishing probable cause in the eyes of a judge, to gather historical or real-time cell phone location data. The US supreme court has ruled that the fourth amendment to the US constitution, which protects against “unreasonable search and seizure”, prohibits the warrantless collection of individuals’ location histories. Buying such information, usually en masse, can circumvent this requirement, leading many privacy advocates to label the practice unconstitutional.The FBI director’s admission came in response to a question from Ron Wyden, a Democratic senator of Oregon and a longtime opponent of the warrantless surveillance of Americans. Wyden told Patel that his predecessor, Christopher Wray, testified in 2023 that the FBI did not at that time purchase location data derived from internet advertising, although he acknowledged that it had done so in the past

Cryptocurrency firms suffer heavy losses in Illinois primaries after spending big

The cryptocurrency industry spent big and lost often in this week’s Illinois primaries.As the industry prepares to make massive donations in the 2026 midterm elections to replicate its success in 2024, the Illinois losses mark an early setback for firms that are trying to establish themselves as power players in American politics.Crypto companies flooded the state’s Democratic primaries with millions of dollars to promote candidates they believed would have a light touch when it came to regulating digital assets. AI firms, meanwhile, backed opposing candidates and seemed to cancel each other out.Using Super Pacs that are allowed to spend unlimited sums of money, crypto and AI companies ran television advertising and distributed campaign fliers that only occasionally alluded to their industries

Australia dig themselves out of a hole in women’s T20 win over West Indies

Australia got the Sophie Molineux era under way in sloppy style as a new-look side overcame six spilled chances before turning the screw late for a 43-run victory over West Indies in the first women’s T20 international in St Vincent. But as the dress rehearsals continue for the T20 World Cup starting in June, the role in the XI of Australia’s new captain remains unclear after the allrounder did not bat or bowl on her return from injury.An unusually messy performance in the field threatened to cost Australia dear as West Indies made a promising start to their 165-run chase. Alana King was the main offender as she dropped three catches early in the innings, including a pair while standing on the deep backward square rope, before striking back with the ball.The leg-spinner sent Hayley Matthews (11) packing with an exquisite delivery that drifted across the West Indies captain before sliding under her bat on the way to crashing into the stumps

Liam Marshall double edges Super League leaders Wigan past York Knights

These were the nights that critics of Super League’s decision to expand to 14 teams feared but as the new season settles into a rhythm, they are fast becoming some of the most enjoyable.Yes, the result was what almost everyone – even the most optimistic York Knights supporter – would have predicted at kick-off. But goodness, what a rollercoaster ride this was as Super League’s newest team pushed arguably its biggest and most recognisable heavyweight every step of the way on a thrilling evening in Wigan.Next weekend, Super League celebrates the 30th anniversary of its inaugural game. That night, Paris Saint-Germain announced their arrival as rugby league’s big hope for expansion with victory over Sheffield