A McDonald’s sandwich has been making people sick in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

E. coli, a type of bacteria that can cause serious stomach problems, has been found in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwiches, the CDC announced on Tuesday.

So far, the CDC has recorded 49 cases of illness across 10 states. Ten cases resulted in patients being admitted to hospital and one person has died.

Most of the cases were recorded in western and Midwest states, according to the CDC.

The fast-food restaurant is working with investigators to determine which ingredients caused the outbreak, according to a statement from the CDC.

“McDonald’s has pulled ingredients for these burgers, and they won’t be available for sale in some states,” the agency said.

“It is not yet known which specific food ingredient is contaminated,” the CDC added, noting that McDonald’s has already “stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states”.

The CDC said that the slivered onions are believed to be the likely source of contamination, and investigators with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working to determine if the onions were sold to any other business.

No recalls have been issued yet by the CDC or by other health and food regulators.

The first case was recorded on 27 September, investigators say. Victims have ranged in age from 13 to 88.

Of the 10 people taken to hospital, one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.

Another person, who the CDC described as “an older adult in Colorado” died after eating at McDonald’s.

Cases have been reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

McDonald’s shares fell by about 9% on the New York Stock Exchange after the news broke on Tuesday.

In a statement, McDonald’s said that a preliminary investigation found “that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers”.

The Chicago-based company added that it has instructed all local restaurants “to remove this product from their supply” and have paused shipments of slivered onions to the region.

The sandwich is also being temporarily removed from the menu in several states, the company said, adding: “We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do.”

Other beef products remain on the menu, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said in a video message.

“At McDonald’s, you can count on us to do the right thing,” he said.

E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that normally live in the intestines of humans and animals.

Although many are harmless, some produce toxins that can make you sick.

Symptoms include severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever.

It usually takes a few days after being infected for symptoms to show.

This is not the first E. coli outbreak to affect McDonald’s in recent years.

In 2022, six children in Alabama were sickened with E. coli after eating chicken McNuggets.

Four children were admitted to hospital. Health inspectors later visited the affected restaurant and found several violations, including improper hand-washing and a lack of gloves.

A MAJOR bank is giving away £180 in free cash – just in time for the expensive Christmas period.

The generous reward is available to any new or existing customer who switches their main current account to the bank’s reward account.

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The offer from NatWest lasts for a limited time only – so those eyeing up the extra cash for Christmas should act fast.

To be eligible, customers must pay £1250 into their new Reward Account – through either single or multiple payments.

This must remain in the account for 24 hours.

Customers must also have the latest version of the NatWest mobile banking app.

If these conditions are met, £180 will be paid into the account within seven days.

And it’s not the only reward available for switching to the NatWest Reward Account.

Customers can also receive a further £60 in rewards a year by signing up – as well as money off at a range of retailers.

However, the account does charge a £2 monthly fee.

Other banks are also offering cash incentives for switching bank accounts in the runup to Christmas.

Lloyds is offering £200 to customers who switch to the Club Lloyds account before December 10.

Those who open a 1st Account with First Direct can enjoy a payment of £175.

Nationwide has launched a new offer of £175 to switch to its FlexDirect, FlexPlus or FlexAccount current accounts.

And Co-op Bank has announced that customers could receive £75 for switching to the bank – plus three monthly installments of £75.

Aside from the Reward Account, NatWest also has some other tempting offers for customers.

These include a 6% interest rate with the Digital Regular Saver account, prepaid “Rooster” debit cards for kids, and 1% back in rewards on the Travel Reward Credit Card.

These rewards can be exchanged for Amazon vouchers as well as cash.

To change your bank account, you should go through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

This automatically moves all your direct debits to your new account.

How do I switch bank accounts?

SWITCHING bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up – there’s a full list on CASS’ website.

Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days.

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You don’t have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you.

All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you’re moving.

There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.

You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements.

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When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society.

Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts.

And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts – but these accounts might come with a monthly fee.

In today’s newsletter:

• HSBC splits east from west

• The son of Singapore’s founder is granted UK asylum

• Why Xi changed his mind on China’s stimulus

Good morning. HSBC has announced a sweeping reorganisation that will split the Asia-focused bank into four standalone units serving “eastern” and “western” geographical regions.

Under the plan announced yesterday, HSBC will turn its UK and Hong Kong businesses into standalone units — a major overhaul for a lender that has touted its credentials for decades as one of the world’s few truly global banks.

The other two units will be “corporate and institutional banking” and “international wealth and premier banking”. Businesses within these units will fall either into the “eastern markets” section of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East or a “western” one including operations in the UK, Europe and the Americas.

The restructuring comes as new chief executive Georges Elhedery seeks to cut costs and better navigate geopolitical tensions between China and the west.

The bank plans to shrink its top management layer by a third, but it did not say if it would start cutting jobs. The FT previously reported that Elhedery was planning a $300mn cost-cutting drive that would target senior bankers. Here’s more on the changes coming for HSBC.

And here’s what else I’m keeping tabs on today:

• Economic data: Singapore releases September inflation data and Taiwan reports industrial output for the month.

• Tokyo Metro IPO: The subway operator will list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan’s biggest initial public offering in six years.

• HKEX results: The Hong Kong stock exchange reports third-quarter results.

Five more top stories

1. The son of the late Lee Kuan Yew, the modern-day founder of Singapore, has been granted political asylum in Britain. Lee Hsien Yang and his wife have been in self-imposed exile in London since 2022, and successfully argued that they would face persecution if they were to return to Singapore. Read about the dynastic feud at the heart of their case.

2. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has said it alerted the US government to a potential attempt to have it manufacture artificial intelligence chips for Chinese tech giant Huawei in circumvention of export controls. TSMC’s statement follows a report last week that the Department of Commerce was investigating whether the Taiwanese company had been violating US export controls by making AI or smartphone chips for Huawei.

3. Greater global protectionism will endanger the world’s growth outlook, the IMF warned in its latest forecast, as a possible Donald Trump victory in next month’s US election raises the prospect of sharp tariff increases. The Republican candidate has called for an overall 20 per cent tariff on all US imports and a 60 per cent penalty on Chinese goods.

4. A senior Volkswagen executive has been deported from China, in another setback for the German group in the world’s biggest car market. Chief marketing officer Jochen Sengpiehl was detained in China for about 10 days after allegedly testing positive for drugs following a holiday abroad, according to two people with knowledge of the details.

5. A UK-based activist fund Palliser Capital has taken a stake in Tokyo Tatemono, one of Japan’s biggest property groups, and is calling for divestments and a strategy overhaul. The campaign comes as Japanese companies face growing pressure from foreign investors to improve market valuations and raise corporate governance standards.

The Big Read

After resisting calls for fiscal stimulus for years, Xi Jinping has made a sudden U-turn. Today’s Big Read explores why the Chinese leader changed his mind — and whether it will be enough.

We’re also reading . . . 

• China’s luxury sector: Despite the economic uncertainty weighing on Chinese consumers, Italian luxury brand Moncler sees great potential in the country.

• Books: Patriot, the memoir of Vladimir Putin’s murdered opponent Alexei Navalny, is a worthy testament to his courage, defiance and humour, writes FT Moscow bureau chief Max Seddon.

• Pakistan’s flood recovery: With 12mn victims languishing in tents, the debt-burdened country is a disappointing test case for global financial co-operation aimed at helping countries rebuild after extreme climate events, officials said.

Chart of the day

Europe’s share of global commercial clinical drug trials almost halved over the past decade as pharmaceutical companies turned to the US and China to take advantage of their simpler regulatory regimes, according to industry representatives.

Take a break from the news

Nilanjana Roy, who has a “modest” collection of 4,000 books, confronts a dilemma that all bibliophiles eventually face when the ever-growing stacks around the house threaten to fall: to keep, or not to keep old books.

CHOCOHOLICS are going wild after a Cadbury’s treat they thought was “extinct” was spotted on the shelves at B&M.

It marks the return of an iconic chocolate bar – but this time in miniature form.

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A picture of the Cadbury Fuse Mini Treats was posted to a Newfoodsuk Facebook group.

So far, it has wracked up a whopping 539 reacts and over 70 shares.

Nearly 300 overexcited chocolate-lovers rushed to the comments, with one telling their friend: “If you see these buy all of them.”

Others pointed out that the Mini Fuse Treats hailed the return of a cult classic – the Fuse bar.

This is not currently on sale in supermarkets, but does occasionally appear on specialist websites such as Bombon.

One wrote: “I thought fuse chocolate was extinct, seems like it still exists.”

Another said: “If these are like the old FUSE bars I NEED these!”

A third disbelieving fan commented: “Used to have these in full size bars years ago. Delish.”

The Fuse bar is a combination of crunchy peanuts, gooey caramel and a creamy truffle centre, all coated in smooth milk chocolate.

The grab-bag version contains seven mini bars, according to the packaging.

It comes as B&M shoppers also went wild for a new twist on the Dream bar.

Meanwhile, chocolate lovers raved about a new type of M&Ms – the Candy Popcorn M&M Minis.

And Nestle added a new chocolate to its Quality Street “Favourites Golden Selection” pouch – the Toffee Penny.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

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Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

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They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

Karan Johar has sold 50 per cent stake of Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment to Serene Productions led by Adar Poonawalla for Rs 1,000 crore, according to reports.

ALSO READ: How Bollywood’s Big Daddy Karan Johar built his empire

Karan will be the executive chairman and look at the creative side while CEO Apoorva Mehta will head the operational segment. 

He has been seeking to monetise his stake but the plan was delayed over disagreement about valuation of the production company. This comes as emergence of OTT services and dip in theatre crowd have been posing challenges to Bollywood studios.

Before the deal with Poonawalla, he owned 90.7 per cent stake in Dharma Productions. His mother owned 9.24 per cent stake.

Earlier, reports said that Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries was planning to invest in Dharman Productions.

Reports also suggested that Saregama led by Sanjiv Goenka was also in talks with Karan but the deal reached a dead-end.

SOCIAL media users are going wild for a clever cleaning hack that removes rust – and it’s basically free.

You can make it yourself with two, everyday store-cupboard items – and it’s perfect for de-rusting garden furniture before you pack it away for the winter.

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The tip was posted on a Facebook group inspired by cleaning influencer Mrs Hinch, also known as Sophie Hinchliffe.

It involves simply combining tomato ketchup with scrunched-up tin foil.

The hack was shared after a user took to the group seeking advice on how to remove rust from her outdoor metal stools.

One commenter wrote: “Tomato sauce and scrunched-up tin foil. Used it on mine. Removed the rust and didn’t scratch the metal.”

Another advised: “Foil scrunched up and tomato ketchup. Mine are quite a few years old and were very rusty.”

The poster then returned to the group to share her feedback on the hack.

She said: “Today I tried ketchup and tin foil, and it worked.

“I have to admit I was sceptical, but you were all right, and I was wrong. And, as somebody asked, it didn’t scratch the chrome.”

Another shared that they had tried the hack on their bathroom tower rail and were delighted with the results.

She hailed it a “game changer”, adding: “Vinegar didn’t make any difference this is much better.”

The method works because the acetic acid in the tomato sauce reacts with the copper oxide in the rust.

Meanwhile, the scrunched-up foil helps create friction to gently rub away the rust.

Cleaning enthusiasts should first apply the tomato sauce to the area, leaving it to sit for 20 minutes.

Then, you should use the crumpled foil to scrub the surface in circular motions.

Once finished, wipe the patch clean with a soapy cloth and dry.

It comes as Mrs Hinch fans also shared a handy trick for getting rid of kids’ ink stains – using hairspray.

Hairspray, which costs as little as 85p from Bodycare, can be used to help remove stains by letting the formula sit on the affected area for a few minutes before washing the item with a detergent and warm water.