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As Barcelona groans under a surfeit of generic cafes, a grassroots movement is reviving the traditional 'fork breakfast'. Anyone for pigs' trotters?There are many worse ways to start your day than with eggs royale. The contrast in textures between a soft poached egg and a coarse, toasted English muffin is a thing of beauty, and the combination of smoked salmon and a lemony hollandaise sauce ties it together perfectly. The term “brunch” was coined in an essay in Hunter's Weekly in 1895, and while you're unlikely to find too many fans in foodie circles, or among those who have to work the shift (“nothing demoralises an aspiring Escoffier faster”, wrote Anthony Bourdain), they aren't lacking in number. It clearly has its place. The problem is the place it currently occupies: in our gentrifying cities, brunch has acquired a symbolism that goes far beyond the food itself.After the quieter winter months, Barcelona is one of many European cities gearing up for another holiday season of heightened t...

UN says record numbers of people could face acute hunger if conflict continuesThe world has become well versed in the importance of the strait of Hormuz to the world's energy flows, but attention is increasingly turning to its vital role in another market – the fertiliser on which harvests depend.A third of the global trade in raw materials for fertiliser passes through the maritime choke point, which is also the route for 20% of shipments of natural gas, which is required to make it. Continue reading......

New tax will hit branded drugs and active ingredients while exempting generics for at least one yearSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump is threatening 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical companies that have not struck deals to lower US drug prices.The new tariff will only apply to branded drugs and their active ingredients. Generic drugs, which make up more than 90% of medicines sold in the US, will be exempted from tariffs for at least one year. Orphan, veterinary and other specialty drugs are exempt if they are from trade deal countries or meet urgent public health needs. Continue reading......

OpenAI's chief of strategy says acquisition of show will help company engage with public about AI as it evolvesOpenAI is wading into the media business by acquiring TBPN, a technology-focused talkshow closely watched by Silicon Valley insiders, its hosts said on Wednesday.Co-hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays broadcast TBPN live for three hours every weekday from Los Angeles, lining up guests that include founders, venture capitalists and major figures in the technology world. Continue reading......

Former government adviser Polly Billington urges bigger steps to shield people in UK from effects of Iran warMiddle East crisis – live updatesKeir Starmer should convene a global energy summit of the same order as Gordon Brown's response to the 2008 financial crisis and put Britain on a “war footing” to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels, a Labour MP and former government adviser has said.Polly Billington, who was an aide in Brown's government, warned that economic pain was “hurtling down the tracks” and a bigger response was needed to protect the British people from the consequences of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Continue reading......

Readers respond to a report that some pub landlords are banning children after incidents of unsafe, unruly behaviourIt's fair to say the traditional British pub has always been seen as a wind-down space for adults ('It dictated the whole atmosphere': why some landlords are banning kids from pubs, 26 March). Adult conversations, a laugh and a joke with mates and, yes, getting a little tipsy and merry without having to worry about the responsibility of looking after, or even maintaining decorum in front of, the children.As adults we don't dive into the ball pits at McDonald's, or invade playgrounds to go on the swings or see-saws, even for a laugh, because it's not our space. Continue reading......

The US president couldn't give a single coherent reason for why this aggressive war of choice must still be prosecutedDonald Trump's self-congratulatory speech on Iran on Wednesday night was as puzzling as it was divorced from reality. I had hoped he would declare victory and end the war. Some feared he might provide cover for a ground invasion. Instead, he told us in essence to be patient, that he is almost done, but he was utterly unclear about what more there is to accomplish.If there was ever a purpose to the war, it was to curtail Iran's capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump harped on that goal repeatedly in his speech, noting that he had long vowed that he “would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon”. But he didn't mention that Iran has long agreed to eschew a nuclear weapon. If that is the only goal, this entire war has been pointless. Continue reading......

Private credit investment firm's move is latest sign of crumbling confidence in unregulated lending marketA major private credit investment firm, Blue Owl Capital, has imposed a cap on withdrawals after investors tried to pull $5.4bn from two key funds, in the latest sign of crumbling confidence in the unregulated lending market.The New York-headquartered firm released filings on Thursday that showed a surge in redemption requests, with investors asking to take back 21.9% of the cash stored in Blue Owl's $20bn (£15bn) Credit Income Corp fund between January and March. Meanwhile, investors requested 40.7% of funds from its $3bn tech lending fund. Continue reading......

Brent crude rises 8% as US president vows to hit Iran 'extremely hard' over coming weeksBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have soared after Donald Trump vowed in a televised speech to hit Iran “extremely hard” over the coming weeks, knocking hopes of a near-term end to the conflict in the Middle East.Brent crude prices jumped by as much as 8% on Thursday to $109.74 a barrel, reversing Wednesday's drop when hopes of a de-escalation in the Iran war pushed the international benchmark below the $100-a-barrel mark at one point. Continue reading......

Effects of Iran's blockade will depend on how long crisis lasts as disruption ripples through supply chainsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe closure of the strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil and gas shipping route that has been blocked by Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began, is having ripple effects around the world, with most industries already grappling with rising energy costs. If the strait is not reopened, transport blockages across the Middle East could cause significant shocks to food and medicine supplies.No one knows how long the wider conflict will last, but governments are panicking about the implications. Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, is hosting a meeting with 35 other countries on Thursday to discuss reopening the strait. Here is what could happen in the UK if the blockade drags on. Continue reading......

Affected cars include models in Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Fiat brands made since 2023The European carmaker Stellantis has issued a recall for 44,000 UK vehicles after discovering a fault that could result in its cars catching fire.The fault has been found in certain models across its Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Vauxhall, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Fiat brands, produced between 2023 and 2026. Key vehicles affected by the recall include the Citroën C3, Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Mokka. Continue reading......

The infrastructure is crumbling and the government shaky, but memories exist of an industry that once thrived off Venezuela's vast reserves of crude – and could do again, despite the climate crisisAt Campo Boscán, a vast complex in western Venezuela, the drills, pumps and pipelines that extract crude oil operate amid decay: roads are broken, weeds grow everywhere and many wells run inside metal cages to prevent theft. Albenis Merchán, a drilling technician with 35 years' experience, recalls better times as he drives his pickup through the desolate landscape.“We used to receive maintenance and safety training all the time. Supplies and spare parts were never lacking. Many things need to improve here to tap the full potential of this area,” he says. Continue reading......

Those in US given chance to have more professional usernames without losing access to accountDid your McLovin!1976!@gmail.com email address seem funny at the time but less so now you are applying for dozens of jobs?Google has said it is giving US users a chance to appear more professional by letting them change their Google account username – whatever appears before @gmail.com in an email address – without losing access to their account. Continue reading......

Fifa has not agreed tax exemption with US governmentBurden will fall disproportionately on smaller nationsMore than half the countries that have qualified for the World Cup are facing additional costs and potential losses due to Fifa's failure to agree a blanket tax exemption with the United States government and significant variance in the host country's international tax treaties.As a not-for-profit organisation Fifa has had tax-free status in the US since the 1994 World Cup, but that exemption does not apply to all of the 48 qualifiers, whose national associations must pay a range of federal, state and city taxes on their earnings from the tournament this summer. Continue reading......

Sale of Providence House believed to be the most expensive on record in LondonUK politics live – latest updatesNick Candy, the honorary treasurer of Reform UK and a major donor, has sold his mansion in the Chelsea district of London for a reported £275m.The property developer declined to comment on the transaction, which was first reported by Bloomberg, but it is believed to be the most expensive on record in London and one of the biggest in the world. Continue reading......

Bank holiday traffic predicted to peak on Thursday, as petrol and diesel prices surge from fallout of Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesDrivers are being urged to hunt for the cheapest petrol and “to fill up as usual” as UK travellers prepare to make 21.7m journeys on what is expected to be the busiest Easter on the roads in four years.The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol rose by 20p from 132.83p on 1 March to 152.83p by the end of the month, raising concerns about the cost of filling up for Easter journeys, as rising oil prices triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran translated to higher prices at the pumps. Continue reading......

Once-hyped, celebrity-backed company snapped up by American Exchange Group for fraction of former valueBusiness live – latest updatesAllbirds, the San Francisco sustainable trainer brand once valued at more than $4bn, is being sold for just $39m after global demand for its wool-based footwear failed to materialise.American Exchange Group, the owner of a string of brands including the fashion label Ed Hardy and the accessories maker Born, is snapping up the struggling company once touted as the future of footwear. Continue reading......

Author and academic says role is a chance 'to make real, meaningful changes' as trust confronts links to enslavementIt's a story that connects the inventors of the KitKat – the beloved British chocolate bar – with colonial history and its legacies.Now, the ways in which enslavement, indenture and European imperialism fed supply chains for Rowntree's, the confectioners who invented Fruit Pastilles and Smarties as well as KitKat, are being confronted. Continue reading......

Last April, the president unleashed a tidal wave of tariffs on 'liberation day'. Analysts say the policy has failed, even by the Trump administration's own termsBefore Donald Trump declared “liberation day” on 2 April 2025 and shocked the world by raising import tariffs on nearly every country the US did business with, he had spent almost three months causing chaos in Washington.The wholesale slashing of government jobs under Doge (the “department of government efficiency”) and the defunding of US aid agencies had shown White House watchers that the US president was in a hurry to upset institutions he considered profligate or useless. Continue reading......

Sites such as Vinted and ThredUp expected to help resale grow twice as fast as overall clothing market in coming yearsBusiness live – latest updatesSecondhand clothing sales are forecast to surge 12% this year to $289bn (£217bn) and continue to step up, as AI and social media influencers help shoppers find the items they want.The rise of sites such as Vinted, Depop, Vestige and ThredUp is expected to power an average 9% annual growth over the next five years to reach $393bn, twice the pace of the overall clothing market. Continue reading......