6:57 am, April 24, 2026
Ministers refuse to confirm secret fuel price briefings over panic buying fears
Ministers have refused to confirm whether they hold secret briefings on fuel prices – warning that it could spark panic buying and potentially send markets into turmoil.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it could ‘neither confirm nor deny’ whether briefing notes had been produced on petrol and diesel prices in recent weeks.
The move is unusual for such a politically sensitive cost-of-living issue, with the ‘neither confirm nor deny’ approach more often associated with national security matters.
Warner Bros investors give thumbs up to £81.4bn Paramount takeover
Warner Bros Discovery shareholders have given the green light to the firm’s $110bn (£81.4bn) takeover by Paramount Skydance in a move paving the way for a deal set to shake up Hollywood.
The overwhelming majority of Warner Bros shareholders voted in support of selling the entire business to Paramount for $31 (£23) a share, the company said.
But there are still regulatory hurdles for the deal to face, with authorities in the US and UK set to investigate any competition concerns.
Lamborghini restores Miura SV to celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary
Lamborghini is celebrating 60 years of its first supercar with a one-off restoration of a Miura SV.
The Miura was launched in 1966 and the ‘SV’ was the ultimate variant. It was limited to just 150 units worldwide and included a wider rear track, uprated steering, suspension and a 3.9-litre V12 engine that puts out 345bhp.
The Miura SV in question is a 1972 example and its restoration was a three-year project that was carried out by Lamborghini’s ‘Polo Storico’ heritage department.
The markets
The FTSE 100 posted modest falls on Thursday, closing well above early lows, as investors weighed the latest developments in the Middle East.
The London-based index closed down 19.45 points, 0.2%, at 10,457.01. It had earlier traded as low as 10,361.45.
In European equities on Wednesday, the Cac 40 in Paris ended up 0.9%, supported by gains in L’Oreal, and the Dax 40 in Frankfurt fell 0.2%.
Thursday on Car Dealer
‘Squeezed middle’ driving fast-moving used car market as MG4 tops April charts
Used car dealer admits 41 offences over misleading car sales on Autotrader
Smart reveals successor to the Fortwo with Concept #2
Starmer says opponents making ‘any allegation they can’ over Mandelson vetting
Sir Keir Starmer has accused his opponents of making politically motivated allegations about the Mandelson vetting scandal.
It comes after the Prime Minister said he had been exonerated over accusations he misled MPs by evidence from Sir Olly Robbins – the former foreign office chief he sacked last week.
Sir Keir was asked whether he had considered resigning during a visit to Newcastle on Thursday.
BP facing tense clash over climate transparency and shareholder rights at AGM
BP is bracing for a tense annual general meeting (AGM) where shareholders are set to challenge the board over climate transparency and governance concerns.
The oil major could face investor dissent on several fronts during the meeting at its Sunbury-on-Thames hub in Surrey today, where security will likely be tight to prevent disruption from climate protesters.
Many are expected to vote against the election of BP’s new chair Albert Manifold as well as other board-supported resolutions amid growing unease over shareholder transparency and engagement.
Weather outlook
The UK will today see a bright and pleasantly mild spring day overall.
In the south, sunshine will dominate with temperatures around 16–17 °C. The Midlands will be similarly dry with sunny spells and light winds.
In northern England and Scotland, it will be a little cooler with more cloud at times, but still largely dry, with highs near 13–15 °C.
