Fish and chips

Today is, as you might have heard, the last day of National Chip Week 2010, and, typically, the Potato Council's PR people have produced a colourful variety of tenuous, tabloid-friendly stories for our amusement. However, you will have to look elsewhere for analysis of Aston University's research that chips make people "13% more cheerful", or a discussion of whether or not anyone in Portsmouth really uses the phrase "snag and chips".

No, instead, as Jesus might, Word of Mouth asks you all to take a moment and consider the chippies. Because, in National Chip Week, that is surely who and what we should be celebrating: their dynamism, their flexibility, their resilience.

Forget all that media 'fast food' brouhaha about how great Leon is; how Mexican street food will be the 'next big thing'; or how evil McDonald's are. With 276m portions sold last year, fish 'n' chips is still - 150 years on from its birth - Britain's most popular takeaway meal.

Moreover, while its popular image may be one of greasy, old-fashioned stolidity, the British chippy has, in fact, never been more energetic. Patronising Michelin star chefs may occasionally swan in to show everyone how it's done, or not, but at a grassroots level the British chippy is already modernising, already fighting its corner.

Shopkeeper dies Huddersfield

Police today launched a murder inquiry after a shopkeeper died after a robbery at a convenience store.

Gurmail Singh, 63, was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary following the raid at Cowcliffe convenience store, Cowcliffe, Huddersfield.

West Yorkshire police said the father-of-two suffered a head injury during the raid yesterday evening and died in the early hours of this morning.

A small amount of cash, cigarettes and confectionery were stolen in the robbery, which happened at 8.30pm, a police spokesman said.

The robbers are described as four youths in their late teens wearing dark hooded tops and tracksuit bottoms.Witnesses tried to block the door to stop the offenders leaving, but after a struggle they made their escape.

Detective Superintendent David Pervin, the senior investigating officer, said: "Mr Singh was a well known and popular local businessman who had been in this area many years. I appeal for anyone with information to contact us as a matter of urgency.

"In terms of the witnesses, we can confirm this was a group of six people who heard a commotion at the shop and went to help. None of them were injured during the incident."

Police are appealing for any witnesses to ring 0845 6060606 and ask for Huddersfield police helpdesk. A postmortem examination is due to take place tomorrow.

Blog home Oscar nominations

The Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow, and Brits would be forgiven for feeling pretty cheery about it. Colin Firth is bound to get a nod, after all; ditto Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Day-Lewis, maybe even Christian McKay. All richly deserved – even if at least two of the films they're in are utter rubbish.


But here's the bad news: this year, the Brits won't win anything. Not a sausage. Last year Slumdog Millionaire swept the board and Danny Boyle became an international darling. This year, the big turquoise shadow of Avatar hangs heavy over everything, alleviated only by flickers of awards action for The Hurt Locker. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here, then, are our predictions for what will make the nomination grade tomorrow (make sure to check back at 1.30pm GMT for full coverage). But what have we left out? And are we being too pessimistic about our prospects this side of the pond?

Obama unveils $3.8tn budget

President Barack Obama today will send to the US Congress a budget with a record $1.6tn (£1tn) deficit, as he boosts spending on job creation, his healthcare overhaul and defence while ending Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

The budget deficit is the largest ever in dollars, and at 10.6% of US gross domestic product it is the largest proportionally since 1945, when the the war-time US ran a budget deficit of 21.4% of the economy.

The budget for the financial year beginning on 1 October, totals $3.8tn and includes billions to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $100bn aimed at job creation measures, including tax cuts for small business and incentives to hire new workers. It includes a 6% increasing in education funding and eliminates what Obama calls wasteful subsidies for banks that lend to students.

It includes aid to states and cities and social safety net programmes and would impose new fees on the nation's largest banks. Projects slated for large cuts include the Nasa space programme that was slated to replace the Space Shuttle.

"We must do what families across the country are doing," Obama said at the White House today, "save where we can so we can spend where we need."

The budget will allow some major tax cuts to expire, including those for families earning more than $250,000 per year passed under George Bush, a tax cut Obama faults for much of the current budget mess. The plan would include tax hikes for well-heeled Americans, which may prove political unfeasible in an election year.

While the budget raises defence spending overall, Obama pledged to cut military programmes not requested by the Pentagon but sought after by congressmen seeking money for the districts.

The president has come under heavy political pressure to curb budget deficits, and recently proposed a three-year discretionary spending freeze to take effect next year when analysts assume the economy will have largely recovered. The budget deficit is in large part due to huge spending on fiscal stimulus measures. Yet Obama has also made it his primary task to lower unemployment, currently stalled at 10%.

Today the president renewed his call for a commission charged with making what he describes as the tough choices to bring the budget into line. The idea had in the past been supported by both Republicans and Democrats but was rejected last week in the Senate.

According to budget estimates released to reporters, the deficit would decline to $778bn, or 37% of the US economy, by 2017. The improvement is driven by assumptions the US economy will grow at a rapid clip over the next six years.