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There comes a time in all of our lives when we must confront the question: how much cheese is too much cheese? If Burger King in Thailand is to be believed, the limit (allegedly) does not exist.

The fast food giant has caused a stir this week with its latest offering, The Real Cheeseburger, a burger with no meat or condiments, and a cardiac arrest-inducing amount of American cheese (20 slices, to be exact) sandwiched inside a sesame seed bun.

It sounds almost too revolting to be real. But Burger King insisted in a social media post on Sunday when the burger landed on menus that the monstrosity is, indeed, legitimate.

This is no joke. This is for real, it wrote on Facebook. The real cheeseburger is full of flavor for those who love cheese.

Launching at a reduced price of 109 Thai baht ($4.70), The Real Cheeseburger swiftly went viral, with dozens of people flocking to Burger King for a taste after seeing it on social media.

At one branch in Bangkok, CNN reported a shift manager was overheard saying the product was so popular the outlet had to stop accepting delivery orders so they could have enough stock left for walk-in diners.

But a viral sensation does not, a delicious meal, make. Most customers whove tried the burger and then shared their thoughts online have struggled to make it through more than a few bites.

In a damning review of The Real Cheeseburger for Lifestyle Asia, reporter Eric E Surbano admitted that two mouthfuls were all I could endure before chucking it into the bin.

It sucks It is horrid. It isnt really shocking that its bad. Its literally burger bun, 20 slices of cheese, and burger bun. Theres no sauce, he wrote.

It was as revolting as you thought it would be: dry, a shock to the digestive system, and literally a thousand calories worth of unnecessary processed cheese. Thats another thing: for something called the Real Cheeseburger, theres nothing real about any of the cheese here.

Surbano added the experience left him wondering why Burger King thought of this aside from the viral aspect of it.

Perhaps they just have a surplus of cheese lying around. Perhaps they just hate us.

There comes a time in all of our lives when we must confront the question: how much cheese is too much cheese? If Burger King in Thailand is to be believed, the limit (allegedly) does not exist.

The fast food giant which is the international counterpart of Australias Hungry Jacks has caused a stir this week with its latest offering, The Real Cheeseburger, a burger with no meat or condiments, and a cardiac arrest-inducing amount of American cheese (20 slices, to be exact) sandwiched inside a sesame seed bun.

It sounds almost too revolting to be real. But Burger King insisted in a social media post on Sunday when the burger landed on menus that the monstrosity is, indeed, legitimate.

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This is no joke. This is for real, it wrote on Facebook. The real cheeseburger is full of flavor for those who love cheese.

Launching at a reduced price of 109 Thai baht ($4.70), The Real Cheeseburger swiftly went viral, with dozens of people flocking to Burger King for a taste after seeing it on social media.

At one branch in Bangkok, CNN reported a shift manager was overheard saying the product was so popular the outlet had to stop accepting delivery orders so they could have enough stock left for walk-in diners.

But a viral sensation does not, a delicious meal, make. Most customers whove tried the burger and then shared their thoughts online have struggled to make it through more than a few bites.

In a damning review of The Real Cheeseburger for Lifestyle Asia, reporter Eric E Surbano admitted that two mouthfuls were all I could endure before chucking it into the bin.

It sucks It is horrid. It isnt really shocking that its bad. Its literally burger bun, 20 slices of cheese, and burger bun. Theres no sauce, he wrote.

It was as revolting as you thought it would be: dry, a shock to the digestive system, and literally a thousand calories worth of unnecessary processed cheese. Thats another thing: for something called the Real Cheeseburger, theres nothing real about any of the cheese here.

Surbano added the experience left him wondering why Burger King thought of this aside from the viral aspect of it.

Perhaps they just have a surplus of cheese lying around. Perhaps they just hate us.

Popular Thai travel guide and blogger, Richard Barrow, also admitted on Twitter that he struggled eating even half of this burger.

A trend in #Thailand is to put cheese on literally everything. Now Burger King has joined in with the Real Cheese Burger. Though I think they forgot the meat, he wrote.

I love cheese but I struggled eating even half of this burger. Maybe I should grill the other half? What do you think?

Those sampling the burger in-store didnt have anything better to say.

One customer, IT engineer Im Jeepetch, told CNN she tried the burger after seeing it on social media. Despite being a self-confessed cheese fiend, this was a bit too much.

I could only finish half of it. This is an insane amount of cheese added into one burger. Food is good when things are at the right combination.

Jeepetch said she wouldnt order The Real Cheeseburger again.

Another diner, skincare entrepreneur Alisa Chuengviroj, agreed, telling CNN it was too intense.

I may not try it again. I like a few slices of cheese in my burger but not this much.

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Politics

Starmer refuses to rule out manifesto-breaking tax rises in budget

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Starmer refuses to rule out manifesto-breaking tax rises in budget

The prime minister has refused to rule out manifesto-breaking tax hikes in next week’s budget while speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby.

Sir Keir Starmer was interviewed by Rigby while the pair were in South Africa for a meeting of the G20 group of nations.

Despite the government last year indicating it was not going to raise more taxes, it appears that Wednesday’s fiscal event will involve substantial increases in levies.

The 2024 Labour manifesto said: “We will ensure taxes on working people are kept as low as possible.

“Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase national insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, or VAT.”

At the start of their interview, the prime minister was asked by Rigby if it was important for politicians to “stick to their word”.

Sir Keir said: “Yes, it is important that politicians stick to their word.

More on Budget 2025

“They have to make decisions against a political backdrop. And, we’ve also got big decisions to make in the budget that’s coming in just a few days time.”

This caveat matches the expectations that a range of taxes are going to be increased so the government can keep its spending pledges and increase its fiscal headroom amid worsening economic headwinds.

There was chaos last week after the increase in income tax that many had expected to be on the way was revealed to no longer be on the cards.

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Why has chancellor U-turned on income tax rises?

Asked specifically on the manifesto commitment on tax, Sir Keir told Rigby that decisions will be made “against a very difficult backdrop”.

In total, the prime minister refused 12 times to rule out tax rises.

He added it was “important to take the right decisions for our country”.

Rigby pointed out in the lead-up to the 2024 Budget, the prime minister was more unequivocal, saying income tax, national insurance and VAT would not all go up.

The prime minister declined to make the same promise, saying the decisions on tax will be announced on Wednesday.

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However, Sir Keir said the budget will be guided by “principles”, including “fairness”.

The prime minister said the three areas he is “bearing down on” are the NHS, cutting national debt and dealing with the cost of living crisis.

One tax rise that has not been ruled out is what is known as a “stealth tax rise” of freezing income tax thresholds.

Rigby highlighted that in last year’s budget, Rachel Reeves said freezing thresholds will “hurt working people” – and asked the prime minister if he agreed.

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Sir Keir said: “We are going to set out our decisions.

“We will have absolutely in mind that the cost of living is the number one issue for people across the country.”

Pushed again, if working people will have their taxes increased, the prime minister instead mentioned he has people who are “struggling with the cost of living” in mind when making decisions.

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UK

BBC board member resigns – and criticises ‘governance issues’ at top of corporation

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BBC board member resigns - and criticises 'governance issues' at top of corporation

A BBC board member has resigned after criticising “governance issues” at the top of the corporation.

Shumeet Banerji confirmed the news in a letter on Friday, according to BBC News.

It comes after the corporation’s director-general Tim Davie and chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness resigned earlier this month after a row over the editing of a Panorama documentary on Donald Trump.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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Politics

Ex-Coinbase lawyer announces run for New York Attorney General, citing crypto policy

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Ex-Coinbase lawyer announces run for New York Attorney General, citing crypto policy

Khurram Dara, a former policy lawyer at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, officially launched his campaign for New York State Attorney General.

In a Friday notice, Dara cited his “regulatory and policy experience, particularly in the crypto and fintech space” among his reasons to try to unseat Attorney General Letitia James in 2026.

The former Coinbase lawyer had been hinting since August at potential plans to run for office, claiming that James had engaged in “lawfare” against the crypto industry in New York.

Law, Politics, New York, Elections
Source: Khurram Dara

Until July, Dara was the regulatory and policy principal at Bain Capital Crypto, the digital asset arm of the investment company. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as Coinbase’s policy counsel from June 2022 to January 2023 and was previously employed at the crypto companies Fluidity and Airswap.

James, who took office in 2019, has faced criticism from many in the crypto industry for filing lawsuits against companies on behalf of affected New Yorkers, including Genesis, KuCoin and NovaTech. Whoever assumes the role of New York’s attorney general would have significant discretion over whether to file charges against crypto companies.

Related: New York AG urges Congress to bolster protections in crypto bills

Dara, who said he plans to run as a Republican, also echoed Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s recent winning campaign, citing New Yorkers’ concerns about the cost of living and affordability. Cointelegraph reached out to Dara for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

The lawyer who represented XRP holders is also running for office again

As the deadline approached for candidates for various offices to announce their runs, former Massachusetts senatorial candidate John Deaton said he would try to unseat a Democrat again. 

Deaton ran against Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2024, losing by about 700,000 votes. On Nov. 10, however, he announced he would run as a Republican again, attempting to unseat Senator Ed Markey in 2026.