Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said rising jet fuel costs and supply risks could push European air fares higher.
The warning comes as airlines face mounting expenses due to ongoing instability in the Middle East.
He said there was still concern that the industry in the UK could face shortages of fuel over the summer.
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I’m hoping that the Iran war makes flights way more expensive. Not for ecological reasons, I just don’t want to go on holiday with my partner anymore. All they do is play farming games on their phone, and they can easily do that at home without costing me £3k+.
A government spokesman told the BBC : “UK airlines are clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel.”
This follows the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the conflict in Iran, a key transit route for fuel from the Middle East.
The UK and Europe typically depend on fuel imports from the region and have been racing to secure supplies from elsewhere.
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Last week, the European Union confirmed that US-grade jet fuel could be used by European airlines as long as it was implemented safely.
Dan Jorgensen, the EU’s energy commissioner, said on Wednesday that a serious shortage was not expected in the short term but could not be ruled out in the longer term.
However, the chief executive of travel operator Tui, Sebastien Ebel, said he did not foresee shortages in the coming months.
Mr Walsh warned UK operators could still face difficulties, particularly during the busy holiday period.
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He said: “You normally expect to see a 25% increase in flights and fuel requirements in the months of July and August versus, let’s say March.”
Mr Walsh added that if sufficient alternative supplies were not secured, shortages could occur.
However, he reassured consumers there was no need to panic and said widespread flight cancellations were not expected.
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Are you worried about rising air fares? Let us know in the comments
Netflix’s ‘micro-series’ has already creeped its way into the UK’s top 10
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
17:04, 14 May 2026
Fans of a “saucy” drama can binge-watch this one in just an afternoon.
Binge-watching is how most TV fanatics view their favourite shows nowadays with Netflix dropping the perfect “micro-series” for its subscribers.
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Mexican thriller Between Father and Son has arrived with the 20-part series focussed on well-respected lawyer Barbara (played by Pamela Almanza) whose life changes after “just a few suspenseful minutes”.
She visits the house of her fiance Alvaro (Erick Elias) before getting married but unexpectedly finds herself attracted to her future step-son Iker (Graco Sendel).
On top of the forbidden sexual tension, there’s also the mystery around what happened to Alvaro’s first wife and Iker’s mum Fernanda who went missing.
Between Father and Son is perfect for those wanting to quickly binge their way through a series.
Each of the 20 episodes have a running time of 10 minutes or less, with seven instalments just seven minutes long.
So Netflix subscribers could binge-watch the entire boxset of Between Father and Son in under four hours if watched back-to-back.
However, while fans have been “hooked” by the Mexican drama, some have complained of a technical issue.
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From episode four onwards, fans are currently unable to hear the dialogue in Between Father and Son.
Taking to X, a viewer questioned: “Why’s there no sound?”, as another on Reddit stated: “It doesn’t have any dialogue audio after episode three.”
They went on to add: “I am already hooked though and patiently waiting for the issue to be fixed!”
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But others have shared that their audio is working fine, including the English dubbed version of the series.
Between Father and Son is available to watch on Netflix.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Burghart says such instability is “very bad” for the country, with the cost of borrowing going up, leading to a big addition to the country’s national debt and further economic turmoil that could also lead to people losing their jobs.
“The country has to have a form of stability,” Burghart says.
He added that it’s been “clear for months” that Keir Starmer should go, citing the handling of the Lord Mandelson scandal and a number of government U-turns.
Will Wes Streeting mount a leadership challenge?
Wes Streeting, alongside Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner, is among the favourites to take over from Starmer.
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Jess Phillips also resigned, who is known to be a close ally of Streeting.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, she said that she could not continue to serve as a minister “under the current leadership”.
“Labour governments come around rarely is the constant refrain at the moment.
“It’s true they are precious.
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“Every Labour Government in my and my family’s lifetime has forged progress that changes our country and the world for the better.
Recommended reading:
“I know you care deeply but deeds, not words are what matter. I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.
“Decency is vital, calm curiosity is also needed, but so too are fight and drive required… I want a Labour Government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”
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Who do you want to be Prime Minister? Let us know in the comments
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For the last few years, I’ve been struggling to find the balance between comfortable and cute in my summer wardrobe.
The clothes that I do have fall into one of those two categories, but never both.
If you ask me, the platonic ideal for summer clothes is pieces you can picnic and lounge around in during the day, and wear straight out to drinks. And of course, they need to be breathable and flattering at the same time.
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While I’ve been searching high and low for that combination, I somehow always end up with grass stains on some of my more precious clothes, or feeling severely underdressed while sipping on my Aperol. Needless to say, my hunt has, thus far, been unsuccessful.
If you had told me a year ago that the outdoor brand Regatta Great Outdoors was going to launch a lifestyle collection that would become my go-to for summer, I would’ve laughed. But the best thing about fashion is it’s forever surprising.
So I’m happier than I’ve ever been to say I was wrong! I know now that I’ve been looking in all the wrong places, because the brand has just launched its summer line that has everything I’ve been looking for, and more.
I’m talking floaty summer dresses with pockets, co-ords that are as work appropriate as they are beachwear, and even options for date night.
And France confined over 1,700 people to a cruise ship after a suspected norovirus outbreak occurred on board, though passengers have since been released.
The thought of being stuck on a ship filled with a contaqgious virus is a pretty scary one. But how likely is it?
We asked Professor of Medicine in Norwich Medical School, Prof Paul Hunter (whose research interests include the spread of infectious disease), whether and why cruise ships might be a hotbed for illnesses.
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“Cruises are well known to be associated with outbreaks [of] infectious disease”
Professor Hunter told HuffPost UK that there’s a long-established link between cruise ships and the spread of infectious disease.
America’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Yellow Book said the form of travel “presents a unique combination of health concerns”.
Most commonly, Prof Hunter said, these diseases include norovirus and the ’flu.
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But outbreaks can include “a range of other infectious diseases, including Covid-19, Legionnaires’ disease [a very serious, and sometimes fatal, lung infection] and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus, especially dangerous for babies]”.
Why are cruise ships such hotbeds of disease?
“There are many reasons,” Prof Hunter shared.
“First, you bring together a large number of people from all over the world for a period of one or more weeks in an environment that is largely indoors.”
“The average age is often older than the general population, and many people may have a pre-existing medical disease that increases their vulnerability,” said Prof Huntr.
“Some of that population may live relatively socially isolated lives at home, having retired from work, and so have had less of a chance to be exposed to circulating virus infections and so have lower immunity.”
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Shore visits can heighten risk, too, as these “may expose people to infections that they then bring back on board”.
Lastly, “Some outbreaks have been due to failures in ship management, such as food poisoning. Faulty plumbing/pool management could lead to Legionnaires’ disease. For example, one outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease was linked to a whirlpool spa.”
“We need to get on with the job of governing as the legislative programme set out.”
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During the interview, Mr Brickell said he “doesn’t know if Wes Streeting is going to resign and trigger a leadership contest”.
It has since been officially confirmed that Mr Streeting has resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government, saying he has “lost confidence” in his leadership.
At the time of reporting, however, he has not triggered a leadership challenge.
“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election,” says Wes Streeting (Image: PA)
The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been seeking a Commons seat and was blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.
If he were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid.
Mr Brickell said the country and his constituents are “looking at all of this psychodrama aghast”.
“They don’t want the instability that we have today,” he continued.
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The Mayor of Greater Manchester is one of the frontrunners to replace the Prime Minister
Mr Brickell emphasised his preference for discussions about economic growth and the plans of the Labour government.
He then hit out at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launching an inquiry into whether he broke Commons rules by accepting a £5 million gift and not declaring it.
Mr Brickell also pointed towards Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski, who may have failed to pay council tax on a houseboat he was living on in London until recently.
“We find ourselves in a difficult position,” said Mr Brickell.
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“We all recognise that the local election results were not good enough for Labour, up and down the length of the North West, and the country as a whole.
“But now is not the time to do this.”
In Bolton’s local elections, Labour’s Nick Peel was the most high-profile leader to lose his seat to Reform UK’s Bolton chair Trevor Jones in Tonge with the Haulgh.
Mr Brickell said: “I want to make sure that we have a discussion amongst the party that recognises those differences, and learns from the lessons of last week’s election results.”
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Despite calls for unity, in a parting shot at the Prime Minister, Mr Streeting warned that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum”.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark will be kept in for observation over the weekend (Picture: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)
The former Queen of Denmark is ‘tired but in good spirits’ after she was taken to hospital following a heart attack.
Queen Margrethe was rushed to Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s largest public and teaching hospital, on Thursday afternoon.
The 86-year-old will remain in the hospital over the weekend for observation and further tests, the royal household said in a statement.
It read: ‘Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet this afternoon due to a heart attack.
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‘Queen Margrethe will be admitted over the weekend for observation and further examinations.
Unusually, Margrethe abdicated in 2024 after 52 years as monarch (Picture: via REUTERS)
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‘Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits.
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‘The Royal House will announce when there is news.’
Despite stepping back from the throne in 2024 – making her the first Danish sovereign to willingly do so in almost 900 years – Margrethe remains Denmark’s longest-reigning monarch, having worn the crown for 52 years.
Citing health as one of the reasons for her abdication, she said in an address on New Year’s Eve 2023 that she had undergone ‘extensive back surgery’ before she stepped down.
She said: ‘Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me.
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Margrethe has been hospitalised multiple times in the past few years (Picture: via REUTERS)
‘Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.
‘I have decided that now is the right time.’
She passed the baton to King Frederik X and his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary.
Even after abdicating, Margrethe has held onto her Queen title and continues to carry out royal engagements.
But she has been hospitalised on multiple occasions since her surgery. She previously had to cancel an official appearance after she suffered a fall at her home of Fredensborg Palace in Zealand.
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She was again forced to pull out of a royal engagement when she contracted a cold last year.
“As a result of the cold HM Queen Margrethe has contracted, it has been decided that the Queen will be admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation as a precaution,” the Danish Royal House said in a statement.
This would depend on Mr Streeting, or another leadership hopeful within the parliamentary party, securing the backing of the 81 Labour MPs required to mount a challenge. It was unclear on Thursday whether he had reached this threshold, and his resignation letter appeared to imply he would not be triggering an immediate contest.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, from Georgia, known as ‘Commander Butcher’, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison
Fiona Leishman Assistant News Editor and Emma O’Neill Content Editor
16:20, 14 May 2026
The head of a neo-Nazi organisation has been handed a prison sentence for attempting to recruit members to carry out violent assaults against Jewish people and other ethnic minorities, including one sinister scheme which involved individuals disguised as Santa Claus distributing poisoned sweets to children.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, hailing from Georgia, leads an Eastern European neo-Nazi outfit and operates under the alias ‘Commander Butcher’. He was handed a 15-year prison term by a federal judge in Brooklyn yesterday for his offences.
Chkhikvishvili had entered a guilty plea in November for soliciting hate crimes and disseminating instructions on manufacturing bombs and ricin.
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Chkhikvishvili “repeatedly called for the murder of innocent civilians, including children, and schemed to attack and terrorise Jewish communities and racial minorities in the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenburg. ” Chkhikvishvili, for example, tried to recruit a supposed associate to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out poisoned candy to minority children.
“I acknowledge that my actions have brought harm by spreading hatred and violence and I’m truly sorry for that,” Chkhikvishvili wrote in a letter to the judge last month. His defence counsel, Zachary Taylor, appealed for a five-year term, referencing Chkhikvishvili’s mental health difficulties as a youngster, including depression and bullying, which resulted in him falling “under the spell of violent extremist content” on social media.
However, he noted that Chkhikvishvili has since turned over a new leaf. Taylor further contended that throughout his nearly year-long detention in Moldova, where Chkhikvishvili was apprehended in 2024 following an international warrant, he has endured severe conditions, reports the Mirror.
Prosecutors portrayed Chkhikvishvili as the ringleader of the ‘Maniac Murder Cult’, a global extremist organisation adhering to neo-Nazi beliefs that advocate violence designed to spark a racial and religious conflict. They stated the group’s violent incitements – disseminated via Telegram channels and detailed in the ‘Hater’s Handbook’ – seem to have motivated several actual killings.
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Among these is a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, last year which claimed the life of a 16-year-old pupil. Solomon Henderson, 17, left behind a recording following the Nashville Antioch High School shooting in which he credited his actions to the Maniac Murder Cult, which operates from Russia and Ukraine.
From 2021 onwards, prosecutors allege Chkhikvishvili circulated the ‘Hater’s Handbook’ to followers and others. In correspondence to the judge, Chkhikvishvili wrote: “I’m very ashamed [of] authoring Hater’s Handbook, hoping one day it will disappear, I wish I never wrote it.”
Prosecutors allege that Chkhikvishvili travelled to Brooklyn in 2022, where he subsequently began persistently urging others to carry out hate crimes and violent acts. They stated that in 2023 he solicited an undercover FBI employee to conduct bombings and arsons “for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others.”
In 2024, the undercover FBI operative was instructed to “target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison,” prosecutors stated. ” Chkhikvishvili sent detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, including ricin,” they further disclosed.
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“The defendant is a hate-mongering menace who intended to hurt and kill children in the Jewish community and in other minority communities in New York City,” declared US Attorney Joseph Nocella. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message to hateful extremists, wherever you are, who seek to spread fear through unspeakable violence: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
US District Judge Carol Bagley Amon handed Chkhikvishvili concurrent 180-month sentences on both counts, remarking: “The defendant is not sentenced because of his warped views. He is being sentenced for his calls to action.”
The damage follows another incident in Thornton le Dale four days earlier, with police believing more households may have been affected and urging victims to come forward.
Recommended reading:
A recent appeal was issued regarding damage caused to residential property in Thornton le Dale on May 9.
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Since then damage to another residential property has come to light occurring on May 5 at around 5pm. On this occasion a window was smashed.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Enquires lead us to believe the window was smashed with an upright vacuum cleaner.
“Given this unusual choice of implement we are appealing to the public to see if they recall any persons seen carrying a vacuum down Maltongate around the time the damage occurred.
“Do you have CCTV or ring doorbell cameras that may have captured this unusual sight?
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“Are you missing a vacuum cleaner from a skip or bin for example?
“Please contact the officer in the case PC1864 on email: Fiona.Wilding@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation regarding the damage specific to 05 May 2026.
“Please quote reference 1226084664 when passing on information.”
The Championship play-off final may not go ahead on Saturday 23 May as the English Football League (EFL) investigates the Spygate scandal surrounding finalists Southampton.
A hearing will take place on or before Tuesday 19 May.
Saints have been charged by the EFL with breaking rules by observing one of Middlesborough’s training sessions before last Saturday’s semi-final first leg at the Riverside.
Southampton are due to face Hull City in the play-off final for a place in the Premier League next season.
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