6:08 am, April 17, 2026
EasyJet takes £25m hit on surging fuel costs amid Middle East war
EasyJet has announced the conflict in the Middle East cost it about £25m in higher jet fuel prices last month.
The Luton-based airline said it expects to report a headline loss before tax of between £540m and £560m for the six months to the end of March.
Bookings are also down two percentage points for the three months to the end of both June and September compared with a year ago.
Major lenders poised to reduce mortgage rates on Friday in ‘encouraging’ move
Average mortgage rates appear to have reached a plateau, according to a financial information website, with several high street lenders making reductions this week.
The average two-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on the market on Thursday morning was 5.88%, down from 5.89% on Wednesday, website Moneyfacts said.
At the start of March, the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.83% and the average five-year fixed-rate deal was 4.95%.
Toyota Yaris Cross gets new look for 2026
The Toyota Yaris Cross has received a midlife makeover, introducing a new look with updated trim levels.
Externally, the car gains a new body-coloured honeycomb-mesh-patterned grille, redesigned LED headlights and new alloy wheel designs.
There are minor trim changes on the inside, but bigger news is that Toyota has dropped the 114bhp hybrid setup and made the more powerful 129bhp unit the only option available.
The markets
The FTSE 100 made steady progress on Thursday, boosted by brighter-than-expected UK growth figures, strong trading updates and record highs on Wall Street.
The FTSE 100 closed up 30.41 points, 0.3%, at 10,589.99. The FTSE 250 ended 113.91 points higher, 0.5%, at 22,779.50, and the AIM All-Share rose 1.84 points, 0.2%, to 797.86.
The pound ebbed to 1.3532 dollars on Thursday afternoon from 1.3577 on Wednesday. Against the euro, sterling was lower at 1.1489 euros from 1.1502.
Top civil servant ousted after Foreign Office overruled Mandelson vetting
Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure and a top civil servant is to leave their post after it emerged the Foreign Office overruled a security vetting process to clear Lord Peter Mandelson to become UK ambassador to the US.
The prime minister and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper have lost confidence in Foreign Office permanent under-secretary Sir Olly Robbins over the issue and he will be leaving the job, the Press Association understands.
Security officials initially denied the peer clearance, but Foreign Office officials took the rare step of overruling the recommendation. The prime minister was not aware that the former Labour grandee was granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week, the government has said.
10-day ceasefire agreed on by Israel and Lebanon goes into effect
A 10-day ceasefire has begun in Lebanon which could pause fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war.
US president Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
However, Israel has not been fighting with Lebanon itself, but rather with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants inside the country, who were not formally part of the agreement.
Thursday on Car Dealer
Stellantis turnaround gathers pace as Q1 shipments jump 12%
Stellantis has reported a solid start to 2026 with higher numbers of shipments, potentially showing new CEO Antonio Filosa’s turnaround plan is underway.
Vertu Motors opens second Geely location in Glasgow creating new jobs
Vertu Motors has opened a second Geely store in Glasgow following its success launching in the city earlier this year.
CarSupermarket.com shows off new look as it seeks to ‘simplify’ customer offering
CarSupermarket.com has revealed a refreshed corporate look.
Weather
Rain spreads east across much of the UK today, with the south-east staying dry initially, reports BBC Weather. Brighter, sunnier weather follows, though the north sees cloud and showers.
Tonight, rain lingers in the far south-east, while most areas are dry with clear spells, though it remains cloudy, breezy and showery in the north.
