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Alibaba Shock Move Casts Fresh Pall Over China Tech
Alibaba Shock Move Casts Fresh Pall Over China Tech
The shocking decision by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to cancel the spinoff of its cloud division is offering
2023-11-20 10:00
MLB rumors: Braves big moves coming, Yankees not hopeful for Shohei, Yamamoto geo preference
MLB rumors: Braves big moves coming, Yankees not hopeful for Shohei, Yamamoto geo preference
The geographic preference for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are both major topics in MLB rumors of late. Also, the Braves recent moves have sparked intrigue for what they have coming next.
2023-11-20 00:37
Premier League mourns death of Bobby Charlton. Man City and Liverpool get back on track with wins
Premier League mourns death of Bobby Charlton. Man City and Liverpool get back on track with wins
On a day when English soccer mourned the passing of Bobby Charlton, Manchester City and Liverpool got back on track with wins in the Premier League
2023-10-22 00:54
Canadian mining entrepreneur offers to invest in Teck's coal unit
Canadian mining entrepreneur offers to invest in Teck's coal unit
By Divya Rajagopal TORONTO Pierre Lassonde, a Canadian mining industry veteran, has made an offer to invest in
1970-01-01 08:00
Kenya Poised to Hold Interest Rates Despite Elevated Inflation
Kenya Poised to Hold Interest Rates Despite Elevated Inflation
Kenya is likely to leave its benchmark rate unchanged, even as a depreciating currency, fuel-price increases and proposed
2023-05-29 12:00
When will ‘Fatal Seduction’ air? Release date, time and how to watch Netflix's South African thriller series
When will ‘Fatal Seduction’ air? Release date, time and how to watch Netflix's South African thriller series
Nandi finds herself in the middle of an extramarital affair with a young and handsome man named Jacob which could destroy her whole life
2023-07-04 13:12
Who is Louis Russell's mother? 'Too Hot To Handle' Season 5 star gets emotional, reveals struggles while growing up
Who is Louis Russell's mother? 'Too Hot To Handle' Season 5 star gets emotional, reveals struggles while growing up
'Too Hot To Handle' Season 5 star Louis Russell revealed that his mother had cancer when he was just 12
2023-07-28 19:08
UK carmakers hope for delay to post-Brexit tariff
UK carmakers hope for delay to post-Brexit tariff
The UK carmaking industry is hopeful of a postponement in a provision in the nation's post-Brexit EU trade treaty, which will otherwise impose a 10-percent...
2023-09-19 00:43
Meme Stocks Are Back, Raising a ‘Red Flag’ for the Broader Market
Meme Stocks Are Back, Raising a ‘Red Flag’ for the Broader Market
Investors are fascinated with meme stocks again as they hunt through lower-quality names searching for returns. And in
2023-07-12 00:33
Leave Rick Stein alone, Padstow penny pinchers – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup
Leave Rick Stein alone, Padstow penny pinchers – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup
First, they came for our energy bills. Now, they’re waging war on our beloved fish and chips. When will the tyranny end? Probably not any time soon and certainly not in Padstow, where Rick Stein has decided to add a £2 surcharge for extras like gravy, curry sauce and aioli at his fish and chippy. Apparently even celebrity can’t protect you from “food inflation, energy costs and rising wages”. Naturally, all hell broke loose among Padstow punters, who were outraged at the additional cost to their already £20 order. “I’ve always felt that there’s something of the night about him,” one decried. “Let’s boycott it,” exclaimed another. Let me add an unpopular opinion to the opprobrium. Back off, penny pinchers. Ketchup doesn’t come for free just because you decided to dine at Stein’s. It’s a product like any other, and it comes with a price. Why should Stein, or any other restaurant, have to pay it? As a restaurant critic, I’m aware that dinner is getting quite dear. But my advice for anyone complaining about prices is: have some perspective. My initial thoughts on hearing the news from Padstow were twofold. Firstly, if you don’t want to pay upwards of £20 for fish and chips, why don’t you just… go somewhere else? Stein’s is hardly the only joint in town. It’s also not the highest rated so if you are splashing the cash, splash it elsewhere. Secondly, what do people expect? Prices are going up in every aspect of our lives. Restauranteurs aren’t immune to that – they face exactly the same problems we do, if not more. The only thing alarming about the news is that even a brand as big as Rick Stein’s is struggling to survive. For a sachet of Heinz mayonnaise, sure, Stein should probably suck it up (though I imagine that, too, costs more these days). But is it so far-fetched to charge for condiments that are made in house, on the day, with quality ingredients, by trained chefs? Yes, Stein could just plonk it onto his already extortionate prices (£16.95 for cod and chips? You must be joking), but I imagine you might have a thing or two to say about that as well. At least he’s giving you the choice of paying for condiments at all. If you replicated the recipe at home, I’d be surprised if you could get the ingredients for under £2 in the supermarket. That perspective should extend to the impact our changing climate has had on fishing. We’re catching far fewer fish, which has driven up the price of a catch by 11 per cent in the last year. Politics also plays a role, where tariffs on Russia, which previously supplied 40 per cent of white fish in the UK, have forced fishermen to cast their nets elsewhere. The cost of vegetable oil has also gone up by 80p per litre. Given the fish and chip industry uses somewhere in the region 100,000 tons of the stuff, that’s an enormous cost for restaurants to shoulder. Even potatoes are heading upwards of £400 per ton due to increased fertiliser costs and the impact of last year’s hot summer. Then there’s the energy crisis – businesses don’t enjoy a price cap. You can see what I’m getting at. It’s a perfect storm. While arguments that a business as big as Stein’s should be able to absorb the costs somewhere in the empire are totally fair, the news reflects the struggle of all restaurants to reconcile spiralling costs with diner expectations. Earlier this year, Mandy Yin, owner of London laksa bar Sambal Shiok, responded to complaints from diners that prices were too high with a detailed breakdown of how much it costs to produce a single dish. From a portion of their £13 fried chicken, the business only makes 30p. This whole debacle also reminds me of a conversation I had recently with Charlie Bigham, a household name mainly for his boujie “ready meals” (he despises the term). When I asked him to justify why his fish pie now costs around £10 for two people, he gave me the usual spiel about rising costs etcetera, then asked: but why are we so obsessed with paying less and less for food? If we care about the quality of the produce, the impact on the environment and fair pay for the people that work in the industry, shouldn’t we be prepared to pay a bit more? For those lucky enough to be in the contingent that can afford fish and chips, £2 curry sauce might not be the hill to die on. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s outrageous. But I don’t blame the restaurants. Next time you’re in Padstow, a little understanding, perspective and kindness would go a long way. Read More London’s best new restaurants: From Spanish-Welsh fusion at Mountain to British kitsch at 20 Berkeley The dish that defines me: Michele Pascarella’s Neapolitan ragu Is bottomless prosecco going to be killed off by climate change?
2023-09-14 19:49
3M agrees to pay $10.3 billion to settle 'forever chemicals' drinking water lawsuits
3M agrees to pay $10.3 billion to settle 'forever chemicals' drinking water lawsuits
3M's proposed settlement comes just weeks after Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva announced they would pay more than $1 billion to settle lawsuits that allege "forever chemicals" have contaminated drinking water.
2023-06-23 08:55
Andre Onana keen to create own legacy after completing Manchester United move
Andre Onana keen to create own legacy after completing Manchester United move
New Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana cannot wait to create his own legacy at Old Trafford after he completed his move to the club on Thursday night. United reached an agreement with Inter Milan to sign Onana for an initial 51m euros (£43.8m) with add-ons on Tuesday, and the 27-year-old has now sealed his switch to the Premier League club. Onana has signed a five-year deal and targeted helping boss Erik Ten Hag secure more success. He said: “To join Manchester United is an incredible honour and I have worked hard all my life to get to this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way. “Walking out at Old Trafford to defend our goal and contribute to the team will be another amazing experience. This is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates and new ambitions to fight for. “Manchester United has a long history of incredible goalkeepers, and I will now give everything to create my own legacy in the coming years. “I am excited by the opportunity to work again with Erik ten Hag, and I can’t wait to play my part in the success I know he is determined to deliver at this great football club.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-07-21 02:09