Europe has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel left owing to Iran war, says energy chief
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

There will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEA

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Europe has only six weeks of jet fuel left before shortages will hit because of the Iran war, according to the head of a global energy watchdog.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, said there would be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies from the Middle East were not restored within the coming weeks.

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UK economy showed surprise 0.5% growth before Iran war
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

ONS figure for February suggests Britain was gaining momentum before conflict dashed hopes of recovery

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UK GDP expanded by a stronger than expected 0.5% in February, official figures show, suggesting the economy was gaining momentum before the onset of war in the Middle East dashed hopes of recovery.

The jump, reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), was significantly bigger than the 0.1% forecast by economists. January’s flatlining figure was also revised up, to 0.1% growth.

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Metro Bank boss handed record £2.6m a year after slashing 1,000 jobs
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

Dan Frumkin’s pay package comes after bank’s near collapse and rescue by Colombian billionaire

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Metro Bank’s chief executive has been handed a £2.6m pay packet – the largest in its history – a year after slashing 1,000 jobs in response to the lender’s near collapse.

The figure is more than double the £1.2m Dan Frumkin was paid in 2024. Metro pushed through the pay bump and complex bonus scheme for the former RBS and Northern Rock banker at a shareholder meeting last year.

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Man used AI to make false statements to shut down London nightclub, police say
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

Heaven club neighbour admits offences under Licensing Act, as Met says fictitious AI-generated complaints a growing issue

A businessman has pleaded guilty to making false statements in order to shut down a nightclub, which police believe were generated using AI.

A Metropolitan police source said the use of AI to generate letters by complainants who do not exist is a growing issue.

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Starmer tells social media firms: ‘Things can’t go on like this’
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

PM demands real world changes in Downing Street meeting with senior figures from Meta, TikTok, Google and X

Keir Starmer has told social media bosses “things can’t go on like this” in a meeting about internet safety at Downing Street.

The prime minister summoned senior figures from Meta, TikTok, Google, Snapchat’s owner and X to No 10 on Thursday morning as the government considers imposing new restrictions on platforms, including an Australia-style ban for under-16s. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, and Google owns YouTube.

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Norway’s state telecoms firm accused of helping Myanmar regime seize activists
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

Lawsuit in Norway alleges Telenor passed on data helping Myanmar military arrest 1,200 activists, some in safe houses

When even two weeks of torture could not force Aung Thu to betray his fellow anti-coup activists, his military interrogators in Myanmar tried something different: they asked a Norwegian telecoms company, Telenor, then the largest one operating in the country, for its data on him.

The company – whose majority shareholder is the Norwegian government – had first entered Myanmar in 2013 as it was transitioning to democracy, promising to connect users who had been isolated from the world.

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Nottingham Forest v Porto: Europa League quarter-final, second leg – live
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

⚽ Europa League updates; kick-off 8pm BST (first leg: 1-1)
⚽ Aston Villa v Bologna – updates | Live scores | Mail Scott

Forest have five players who are one yellow card away from suspension. Of tonight’s starters, Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White are on the tightrope; Morato, Igor Jesus and Ryan Yates will also need to watch themselves should they come on.

Six members of the Porto starting line-up are a booking away from missing out on the first leg of the semi should their team make it. Jan Bednarek, William Gomes, Gabriel Veiga, Zaidu, Pablo Rosario and Alberto Costa are all on Behaviour Watch, as is Dominik Prpić should he see action tonight.

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Aston Villa v Bologna: Europa League quarter-final, second leg – live
Posted on Thursday April 16, 2026

⚽ Europa League updates; kick-off 8pm BST (first leg: 3-1)
⚽ Nottingham Forest v Porto – latest | Live scores | Mail Niall

I noticed on the team sheets that both of tonight’s captains are Scottish: John McGinn and Lewis Ferguson. Has this ever happened before in a European tie – particularly one not featuring a Scottish team? Hey, it’s like a live Knowledge, this. Just don’t ask me anything.

In tonight’s early game, Freiburg are cruising into the semi-finals – after winning 3-0 at home to Celta Vigo last week, they’re repeating the trick in Spain to lead 6-0 on aggregate. The Bundesliga side will face either Real Betis or Braga in the final four.

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