The first government-chartered flight to evacuate UK citizens from Oman is believed to have taken off this evening as the war in Iran continues to escalate.

Around 7pm UK time, the flight was scheduled to leave Muscat, in addition to eight commercial flights leaving the United Arab Emirates this evening.

Metro has contacted the Foreign Office to confirm that the flight is en route.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said two further Government-chartered flights will take off from the capital of Oman, Muscat, to London Heathrow on Friday and Saturday.

The first Government rescue flight and British Airways commercial flight from Muscat depart on Wednesday night.

More than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates as of Tuesday.

Eight more UK flights are scheduled to depart the UAE today. Still, there is not expected to be a widespread evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals who have registered in the Middle East.

Some commercial flights are operating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, but most are cancelled because of airspace restrictions caused by the conflict between Iran and the US.

British Airways, which does not usually serve Muscat, said it remains unable to operate its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Muscat has emerged as a key location for people to leave the Middle East, given the Foreign Office hasn’t advised against travel into the Oman airport – unlike the current advice for airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Muscat can be reached by road from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with journeys of about 300 miles.

The Foreign Office said: ‘There are a limited number of commercial options available, including by air from the UAE and from Oman.

‘If your presence in the UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing – if you judge you can access these options safely.’

Oman Air has continued to operate its two daily return flights between Muscat and Heathrow despite the war.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said Muscat has ‘become a popular alternative for flying out of the region’ but warned that almost all scheduled flights from Muscat are fully booked.’

It added that private jets are being chartered to evacuate those who can afford it.

About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.

Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Cruise passengers stranded in warzone starting to panic with ‘booms’ of suicide drones overhead

MORE: Operation Epic Fury could burn through precision missiles to strike Iran ‘in days’

MORE: US ambassador to Israel jokes about staff ‘procreating’ during war

Hollywood star Michelle Pfeiffer was a guest on the BBC show on Wednesday (March 4)

BBC viewers were stunned by Michelle Pfeiffer’s youthful looks as she appeared on The One Show.

The actress was on the sofa on the BBC programme on Wednesday (March 4) to discuss her new TV series The Madison, which sees her sharing the screen with Kurt Russell.

But as she chatted to hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo, viewers were distracted by her ageless beauty. Many posted messages on X, formerly Twitter, saying that they could not believe how young the 67-year-old star looked.

One person commented: “Dang Michelle Pfeiffer is still hot even at almost 70.”

“Michelle is unreal I mean look at her,” said someone else, as another fan remarked: “I’m amazed how beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer looks on The One Show tonight x.”

READ MORE: BBC The One Show fans distracted by ‘handsome’ guest ‘ageing like fine wine’READ MORE: Aidan Turner floors BBC host with past career ‘are you last person to hear about this’

“How does Michelle still look so amazing,” asked one fan, as someone else shared: “Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2 was my first crush oof!”

“Michelle Pfeiffer is so great and beautiful!” exclaimed another admirer, as one person said the star “still looks great”.

Another fan posted: “Michelle Pfeiffer looks amazing. She looks so at ease on the sofa and interviews really well. I bet she’s great to work with. A seasoned professional.”

New series The Madison follows the Clyburn family, who move from New York to Montana after a tragedy in the family.

Speaking on The One Show, Hollywood star Michelle said: “I play Stacy Clyburn, and I am the matriarch of the family based in New York, and a tragedy fractures the family, and then actually pulls it back together in ways that were unexpected.”

She went on: “”And, you know, it’s a story about, you know, it’s tender and visceral and actually unexpectedly funny at times, and it is a story about self-discovery and the messy and profound work to rebuild everything that you knew that has fallen apart.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website

The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Nico O’Reilly still felt ‘uncomfortable’ with his ankle injury ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old was forced off in the 70th minute of City’s 1-0 win away to Leeds United last Saturday.

In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola claimed that O’Reilly was in contention to play against Forest with a final assessment to be made after Tuesday’s training session.

But speaking before kick-off on Wednesday night when O’Reilly was not named in City’s matchday squad, Guardiola claimed the 20-year-old had not fully recovered from his ankle issue.

Asked for a timeframe on O’Reilly’s return, Guardiola said: ‘Yesterday we had a training session, he then felt uncomfortable from the knock he got against Leeds.

‘Hopefully he can come back but at the same time it’s happened, in this part of the season everybody is massively important for our experience in the periods where we fight for competitions, everyone is massively important.’

After Wednesday’s game against Forest, City are away to Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: William Saliba out of Brighton vs Arsenal due to injury

MORE: Brighton vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League latest score and goal updates

MORE: Manchester United cleared to sign £26m transfer target in major boost

The father and step-daughter were reunited on the BBC soap in sad circumstances

EastEnders fans are saying that they’ve ‘worked out’ Nigel Bates’ fate after Clare Bates’ ‘heartbreaking’ return to the BBC soap.

It was announced last month that actress Gemma Bissix was stepping back into the role of the daughter of Debbie Bates, and the stepdaughter of Nigel by marriage. Nigel received full custody of Clare after her mother Debbie died in a car crash in the summer of 1995.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Gemma was last seen in EastEnders back in 2008 when she made the decision to leave following the breakdown of her relationship with the late Bradley Branning, and has not returned since.

At the time of her exit, Clare claimed that she and Nigel became estranged because he wasn’t a fan of her wild behaviour in her younger years. However, in scenes aired on Wednesday night (March 4), it turned out that this wasn’t true.

After receiving a voicemail from Julie in the episode prior, Clare was stunned to learn that Nigel is living in dementia, with his condition deteriorating in recent months. Clare was furious that not only did she not know this, but that he was in a care home.

Julie pointed out that Clare ignored her calls for help locating him when he disappeared from their family home in Scotland after his initial diagnosis. Over at the hospital, Phil Mitchell and Julie wanted to see how Nigel was doing before bringing Clare in.

Fed up with waiting, Clare burst into the room only for Nigel not to recognise her. To make matters worse, Nigel, who is in hospital after nearly drowning in the bath, thought Phil’s grandchild Lexi Pearse was his stepdaughter.

A confused Nigel asked Phil to bring him to the Queen Vic to have a pint with Barry Evans, in spite of the character having died over 20 years ago.

It turns out that Nigel and Clare fell out after she sold her mum Debbie’s wedding ring to a pawn shop. Nigel was planning to give the jewellery to Clare’s daughter Bella and had to pay a lot of money to get it back.

Noticing that Clare was upset, Lexi played her a message her mum Lola recorded for her prior to her death. The pair formed a bond over losing their mums at a young age.

The episode ended with a stunning cliffhanger, with Julie and Phil discovering that Nigel was missing. Putting the blame on Clare and Lexi, it remains to be seen just what happens next.

Following the episode, EastEnders fans took to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on Clare’s return and explain where they think the storyline is going next.

@RyanSoapKing25 said: “The Clare & Nigel reunion scene in tonight’s #EastEnders was heartbreaking. I hope Nigel remembers Clare before he dies and they make amends especially as they didn’t leave things on the best terms first time around. Nigel thinking that Lexi is Clare was devastating.”

@jones_emma54777 wrote: “This scene with Lexi and Clare is very moving #EastEnders.” @B73Shell stated: “I know it will be a slow burner, but I do wonder if Phil & Julie will end up together? They are very suited, especially for their love over Nigel #eastenders.”

@Unhappy_Dig_8575 commented on Reddit: “I called this months ago… Julie & Phil are gonna grief get [sic] together aren’t they they have really softened towards each other especially Julie in today’s ep. It will likely happen after the funeral and then Julie will decide to fulfil Nige’s dream by going to India travelling leaving Walford behind for good.”

The Google Pixel 10a has the same 48-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultra-wide and 13-megapixel front camera as the Pixel 9a. Such a lack of progress isn’t overly concerning, given that the Pixel 9a took fine photos for the money.

Camera hardware is never the main focus in a Pixel phone. Google’s image processing does a lot of the heavy lifting here, resulting in shots with an almost uncanny level of clarity and contrast, even at night.

Images taken with the Pixel 10a’s main camera are generally pin-sharp and well exposed, pulling detail out of shadow while taming brighter areas. The ultrawide is the weak link, producing grainier and less natural-looking snaps.

Google’s 13-megapixel front camera might not be the star component as found in the Pixel 10 Pro, but it does capture natural selfies with rich skin tones. Portrait shots make the subject pop, though some edge detail is lost.

There is no dedicated telephoto camera, so you’re best advised to stop at the 2x zoom mark. These cropped-in shots still look decent, but zooming in any further will see the detail level dropping off dramatically.

No one handles AI-powered image editing better than Google. In the Pixel 10a, as with other Pixel phones, you can fire off a quick snap and be pulling off major edits within a couple of taps, all without ever having to leave the camera app. Some of the AI-powered tools found in Google’s Pixel Studio suite can carry your image into uncanny territory, allowing you to fundamentally transform it using simple language, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

New to the A-series is ‘Camera Coach’, which talks you through improving the framing of your shot in real time. ‘Auto Best Take’, meanwhile, blends similar photos to produce group shots where everyone looks their best.

The Google Pixel 10a is reasonably well equipped for a sub-£500 phone, but we’ve seen it all before. The specifications are almost identical to the Google Pixel 9a which, at the time of writing, Google is still selling as new at a steep discount.

The study, led by a University of York researcher, revealed an “unprecedented” variety of plants in human diets thousands of years ago.

People living in Britain and Europe as long ago as the sixth millennium BC used a wide range of plant, animal and seafood products to create “elaborate” meals, the researchers said.

The study was led by Dr Lara González Carretero, from the University of York, and also involved researchers from Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia and Spain.

Researchers examined organic remains found in 58 pieces of pottery uncovered at 13 archaeological sites across northern and eastern Europe dating between the sixth and third millennium BC.

Experimental cooking with modern replica pottery vessels to recreate prehistoric recipes. Experts have found Stone Age families enjoyed a ‘surprisingly complex’ range of cuisine (Image: Lara González Carretero/SWNS)

They recovered tissue samples of a wide variety of plants – including grasses, berries, leaves, and seeds.

A common technique for interpreting the diets of ancient cultures involves analysing fatty residues in ancient pottery.

But Dr Carretero said that method is limited as it mostly provides insights only into animal remains.

For the new study, published in the journal PLOS One, the research team instead combined multiple techniques, including microscopic examination and chemical analysis, to identify the remains of plants that were eaten by ancient European hunter-gatherers.

Recommended reading:

Dr Carretero said: “In many cases, plant remains were found alongside those of animals, most often fish and other seafood.

“The exact mixtures and ingredients varied from region to region, most likely reflecting which resources were locally available as well as local cultural practices.

“These findings emphasise the important role of plants and aquatic foods in the diets of early Europeans.

“These results also support the idea that these communities regularly used pottery technology for food preparation and that each culture had their own complex culinary traditions.

“This study also demonstrates that combining multiple analytical techniques can yield detailed insights that are overlooked by traditional methods, particularly when it comes to the plants that ancient peoples were eating.”

Dr Carretero added: “While conventional chemical analysis tends to highlight the animal-based components of ancient meals, our combined microscopic approach has brought these prehistoric recipes back into focus.

“We found that hunter-gatherer-fishers were not living on fish alone. They were actively processing and consuming a wide variety of plants.

“This research underscores that to truly understand ancient diets, we need to take a closer look at these food crusts, quite literally.”

👉 Listen to This Is Why on your podcast app 👈

The United States may have launched strikes on Iran this week, but Donald Trump also found time for a war of words.

This time, it was with the prime ministers of the UK and Spain – after they refused to allow America access to their airbases ahead of the attack.

Sir Keir Starmer and Pedro Sanchez have responded with some tough words of their own – so why are they and other European leaders finally standing up to the US president?

Niall is joined by Sky’s military analyst Michael Clarke.

Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk

TOKYO (AP) — It’s officially named the World Baseball Classic. But for the Group C games in Japan, simply call it the world according to Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani’s life-size image is all over the Tokyo Dome, and racks of Ohtani jerseys — about $125 each — dominate the adjacent merchandise center. Japan begins play on Friday against Taiwan with South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic also in the group.

Japan is the defending champion and is expected to claim one of the two spots for the quarterfinals in the United States.

Ohtani skipped batting practice on Wednesday, surely disappointing several hundred fans who were in the stadium expecting a show. He’s just saving himself and is 0-for-5 since arriving in Japan and playing in exhibition games against Japanese league teams.

“Every time I join (the Japanese team) there are younger and younger players — younger players are increasing,” Ohtani said, speaking in Japanese at a brief new conference.

“So I feel I’m getting old,” the 31-year-old superstar added.

Japan is not only a favorite to advance, it’s also possible it will again meet the United States in the final in Miami. Three years ago, Japan defeated the Americans 3-2 when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to end a dramatic game that gave the WBC a huge popularity boost.

Ohtani is expected to only bat for Japan, not pitch as the Los Angeles Dodgers want to save him for the season. But he left the door slightly ajar before leaving spring training in Arizona.

Asked if he might attempt to pitch, he replied: “It’s hard to say. But if (Mike) Trout shows up, it’s tempting,” he said, speaking through interpreter Will Ireton.

Trout will not be playing this time for the United States because of insurance issues, which have kept several players on the sidelines.

Travis Bazzana will be the second baseman for Australia. He was selected by the Cleveland Guardians as the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, the first from his country to occupy that spot.

Ohtani is his role model, as he is for many other younger players.

“I personally believe he is the greatest of all time,” Bazzana said. “He epitomizes the work ethic and mastering his craft in baseball. That is someone I look up to, but when it comes to that game in a couple of days — you can’t focus on who’s across the field.”

Japan has a powerful batting lineup led by Ohtani and other MLB big hitters: Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Seiya Suzuki. The pitching staff has lost some stars from 2023 including with Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish.

The pitching anchor will be World Series MVP and Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“It’s a chance to go up against the best team in the world and it’s a special event going against Ohtani,” said Australian manager Dave Nilsson, a former all-star catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’s going to be a big moment for the fans and for Japan,” Nilsson added. “We’re not going to get caught up in the sideshow.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Harry Styles has reflected for the first time on the death of Liam Payne, sharing how it is especially ‘difficult to lose a friend who is so like you’.

The One Direction star died aged 31 in October 2024 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

At the time, his former bandmates released a joint statement on the loss before penning individual farewells to their ‘brother’.

Since then, Louis Tomlinson has gone into further detail about the emotional impact, revealing it was Niall Horan who informed him of the death.

Harry has now shared that he still ‘struggles’ to talk about Payne, who he first met on X Factor when the singers were just 16 years old.

‘Full transparency, it’s like something that I, even the idea of talking about it, I struggle with that a little bit even,’ he confessed on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show podcast.

Harry explained how he wasn’t able to ‘acknowledge how strange it is to have people kind of own part of your grief in a way’.

While he had lost a friend, the world had lost a star and fans very publicly grieved Payne alongside those who knew him in real life.

There was also intense pressure on the former group to speak out and to share insight into their own emotions as they paid tribute to him.

Harry continued: ‘I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away. And then suddenly being aware there’s maybe like a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?’

Reflecting on Payne’s death for the first time in an interview, he told Zane: ‘It’s so difficult to lose a friend. It’s difficult to lose any friend, but it’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways.

‘It’s like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great.’

The shock death left Harry wondering what he wanted to ‘do with his life’ and whether he was living how he really wanted to.

His discussion about Payne came after Zane asked about artistry and music, ahead of new album, Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally.

The Aperture singer shared that he loves when he can hear an artist ‘discover themselves’ and are being ‘vulnerable’.

‘Choosing the song that is meant just for me to work through something, I think it becomes something important when you choose to let people look at that,’ Harry mused.

‘I think the thing that makes someone like an artist is letting [fans] watch you be an ordinary person,’ he continued. ‘It’s not about being, “I am this mystic thing”.

‘I think the difference is we’re all ordinary people and there’s some people who let other people watch you be an ordinary person. And I think that is kind of the key in a lot of ways for me, anyway.’

Zane replied that he thought of Payne as Harry spoke and others who ‘ struggled to get out of extraordinary situations’.

The As It Was singer called Payne a ‘super special person’, adding the loss was ‘really sad’.

‘I think the greatest way you can honour your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest,’ he added.

This came in the form of travel for Harry, with the star embarking on a year of travel and side quests around Europe.

He told Zane how he just said yes to a lot (and no to some things) and made a group of new friends with the whole experience giving him a fresh outlook on life.

‘It just has changed the way that I’m experiencing life,’ Harry said. ‘This album is such a wonderful byproduct of that because I was recording while all this was happening, and I was exploring all that.

‘I think also just being in a place in my life where I’m like, if I put this album out and everyone decided they hated it. Would I be sensitive about it? Yes, I would. Would it make me doubt who I know myself to be as a person? No, it wouldn’t.’

Harry Styles’ new album Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally is out on March 6. His full interview on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show is out now.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE: I was at the Brit Awards 2026 – here’s everything you didn’t see

MORE: Noel Gallagher stony-faced alongside Harry Styles and Robbie Williams on sombre Brits red carpet

MORE: What time are the Brits 2026, who is performing, and where to watch?

The home side have found goals hard to come by, scoring just 38 so far this term, and Ollie Watkins, their first-choice striker, has faced scrutiny after scoring just once in his last seven games. Former Blue Tammy Abraham was signed in January to ease the burden, but could he start here against his former side? Keep up to date with all the latest with our live blog below.