They were the words of the Bank of England's governor on Thursday while warning over the risks posed to the UK economy by the surge in global energy costs. It does not bode well for the nation's favourite food: chips. But a leading figure in the potato industry has told Sky News we won't see the worst until next year. Scott Walker, the chief executive of GB Potatoes, said the way the industry works means the impact of war-linked costs will be delayed, with "inevitable" increases in 2027. He was speaking amid government warnings of more than eight months of rising prices once the conflict in the Middle East ends, while the fish and chip shop industry sees an immediate threat to its very existence. Rising costs for energy, cooking oil and fish are already being reflected in portion sizes or prices, according to the National Federation of Fish Fryers, which fears an acceleration in this decade's trend of shop closures. When it comes to the humble spud, the cost of the base potato product actually remains weak due to a continuing, Europe-wide glut, according to Mr Walker, though chip shop prices could rise to help account for the extra price pressures already facing fryers themselves. Follow the latest on the Iran war Mr Walker explained that the vast majority of UK potato producers work to annual growing contracts with their customers, which give both growers and the likes of wholesalers and supermarkets "insurance" – a certainty over incomes and prices ahead. "At this moment in time, people shouldn't be paying any more," he said, in good news for buyers of the many raw potato varieties in the shops. Fertiliser, for example, was already bought for the current growing year ahead of the outbreak of the war, but Mr Walker said the outlook was more bleak. "Down the line prices will have to rise because we have a lot of costs coming," he warned. While growers could attempt to claim "exceptional" costs from their customers in a bid to restore some health to margins this year, Mr Walker warned the 2027 contracts would have to reflect a doubling of red diesel and some fertiliser prices. He also highlighted higher plastic packaging charges, along with raised tax and wage demands imposed by the government. "The average price was about 65p (a litre) for red diesel last year," he explained. "Farmers this year have been paying about 140p, but it has dipped back to around 120p." Mr Walker warned that much would also depend on the weather in the months ahead, with a dry summer forcing farmers to irrigate more using diesel-powered generators. "If diesel prices remain high, that's going to be a big extra cost," he warned, signalling that planting, irrigation, harvesting and distribution costs were all flashing red. "Sadly, rising prices are inevitable... Everyone faces rising prices: the cost of collection, living wage, (the) price of electricity for wholesalers. There's a lot of cost in the system." What about crisps? Mike Russell Smith, who co-founded the Savoursmiths luxury crisp brand outside Cambridge in 2016 alongside his wife, grows his own potatoes and manufactures the product on site. He echoed Mr Walker's sentiments over the surge in costs. He explained that a "massive oversupply" across Europe last year, due to strong crop yields, had depressed prices, but the business, at the same time, was already grappling with a doubling of sunflower oil costs due to the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. He pointed to rising costs for labour, harvesting, production and cold storage. "The softer price of the potato due to the surplus of supply is going to be significantly offset by considerably higher prices in terms of energy, gas, electricity and the sunflower oil we cook the potatoes in," he explained. On the prospect of price increases for consumers, he added: "In 2027, we'll certainly have to review things in what is a very competitive industry. There comes a point where the costs just aren't swallowable anymore." The industry 'plea' Mr Walker argued it was in the gift of government to help ease the burden facing the industry. He said: "Most of it is out of our hands. The plea to government...unfortunately is a lot of the rules and regulations are adding to the burden, and we call on the government to ease those regulations and help with electricity costs. "Access to water is a key thing for growing potatoes, so we keep asking for regulation to allow farmers to store water to secure food security." A government spokesperson said in response: "We are taking the effects of the Iran war very seriously and are actively monitoring the potential impact of the conflict on the food and farming sector. "The UK has a resilient food system, and at present we do not expect any impact on availability. We are continuing to meet with stakeholders, including farmers' unions, to share information on rising fuel and oil prices."

The 44-year-old pop star was charged with a single misdemeanour count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, a district attorney's office in California said. Spears will be offered the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs - a common resolution for someone ​who has shown a willingness to undergo treatment. A representative for the star said earlier this month that Spears had voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation facility. She will not have to attend a court hearing scheduled for Monday and her lawyers can instead appear on her behalf. On 4 March, Spears was arrested after she was pulled over for driving her black BMW fast and erratically near her home, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said. At the time, the CHP said the singer was arrested and taken to a Ventura County jail after taking a series of field sobriety tests during which she seemed to be impaired. Read more:Former Spandau Ballet singer jailedKimmel versus Trump feud explained In a statement issued to Sky News' US partner NBC, a representative for Spears described the incident as "completely inexcusable". "Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long-overdue change that needs to occur in Britney's life," they continued. "Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time." The representative added that the singer's loved ones were "going to come up with an overdue-needed plan to set her up for success for wellbeing". Spears had been under a conservatorship that controlled many of her personal and financial decisions until a judge ended the arrangement in 2021. Fans had launched a "Free Britney" movement, while the singer's family argued suffered from mental illness and that the conservatorship was meant to protect her and her $60m estate.

The UK's national threat level has been moved up to severe following a terror attack that saw two Jewish men stabbed in north London. Golders Green latest: PM met by protesters in wake of double stabbing There are five different threat levels, with the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) responsible for deciding at which level the UK should sit. The five terror threat levels are: • Low - an attack is highly unlikely • Moderate - an attack is possible, but not likely • Substantial - an attack is likely • Severe - an attack is highly likely - this is the UK's current level • Critical - an attack is highly likely in the near future JTAC is based at MI5's headquarters in London and is comprised of representatives from 16 government departments and agencies. It brings together counter-terror experts from the police, government and security agencies. JTAC also works especially closely with MI5's international counter-terrorism branch, which manages investigations into terrorist activity in the UK. In deciding on the UK's threat level, JTAC considers: • The level and nature of current terrorist activity, in comparison with events in other countries and previous attacks. • What is known about the capabilities of the terrorists in question and the method they may use based on previous attacks or from intelligence. • The overall aims of the terrorists and the ways they may achieve them including what sort of targets they would consider attacking. • How close an attack might be to fruition. How has the threat level changed over the years? The system was first made public in 2006 and, since then, it has most often been at the severe level, and not been lower than substantial. The critical level has been in place four times: in August 2006, after a plot to detonate explosives on transatlantic flights; in June 2007, after an attempted car bomb attack at Glasgow airport; and in May and September 2017, after the Manchester Arena bombing and the Parsons Green District line attack, respectively. It was downgraded to severe a few days after the Parsons Green incident and remained there until being lowered to substantial in November 2019. The last time the level was raised to severe was in November 2021 after two incidents in the space of a month, the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in October and a car explosion outside a Liverpool hospital on Remembrance Sunday. It was downgraded back to substantial in February 2022.

The 48-year-old head coach emerged from a review of a disappointing season at Matfen Hall on Thursday believing that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds an 85 per cent stake in the club, are still committed to the ambitious vision set out when they took control in October 2021. His "constructive" discussions with Yasir Al-Rumayyan - chairman of both Newcastle and PIF - came as the Saudis announced their decision to stop funding LIV Golf, into which they have ploughed more than $5bn (£3.7bn), at the end of the 2026 season. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Newcastle news & transfers⚫⚪Newcastle fixtures & scores | FREE Newcastle PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Newcastle games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Asked if he had been given any assurances about PIF's future financial support, Howe said: "No, and I didn't seek any either. "But I'd say that what came through was the determination to succeed and to continue to grow the club in every aspect. "The desire is unchanged, to try and get to the top of the Premier League, to try and win as many trophies consistently as possible that I don't think while PIF are, our owners, or part owners, majority owners that will change. They are very ambitious for the football club. "A lot of things they need to do to elevate the club will take a bit of time. We are going back to the stadium, the training ground, these things don't happen with the click of fingers because everything of course is interlinked to income. "As much as everyone wants to fast forward that, sometimes these things, to get it right, take a bit of time." LIV Golf Q&A: What does the future hold without Saudi backing?'A number of paths are possible' - what next for LIV Golf's future?'Long-term vision there for Newcastle' On meeting the club's owners, he added: "There was challenging conversations, challenging questions, but that's all part of it. "Those meetings, I've had that every year, regardless of our league position, where you'll be challenged and probed on certain decisions that you've made, how we've ended up in certain scenarios, and then you explain the process behind it. "This year, of course, slightly more difficult questions because of our league position, there's no getting away from that. But the process behind it was exactly the same as it has been every year. "It's always constructive because they clearly care so much about the football club, the long-term planning that's clearly going on, on a number of levels. "It's very exciting times ahead for the club, regardless of what happens short-term. The long-term vision is clearly there." Howe has twice guided the club into the Champions League and ended its 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy during his four and a half years on Tyneside, but admits this season's league form has not been good enough and that was reflected during Thursday's talks. 'I have confidence I'll be here next season' Howe's own future has been a topic of intense debate in recent weeks following a run of nine defeats in 12 Premier League games which has left Newcastle in 14th place in the table, eight points shy of European qualification, but separated from the relegation zone by the same margin. While he knows a continuation of that run - they face Brighton at St James' Park on Saturday - could prove problematic for him, he insists he remains fully focused on taking the club forward. He said: "I've never needed clarity in my head [on the future], in the sense that I'm here, I'm working and I'm committed. A football club has to do what a football club has to do. "The football club needs to see we are going in the right direction and there's a positive feeling and fighting on all fronts. You can talk as much as you want but the proof is in how the team performs. I'm under no illusions that that needs to be positive. "I don't need reinvigorating. I'm invigorated. My motivation levels are really high. "I think you learn a lot from these moments we are in. I'm learning a lot currently. Difficult runs force you to really revaluate everything and improve. Sometimes in the most disappointing moments are the times when you improve the most." "I have to retain that confidence [that I'll be here next season]. It's doesn't serve anybody, not to have that long-term vision. But we need to win games. "I feel there's unity within the football club. But in my position, I'm under no illusion, I have to get results - to keep that feeling and that trust. It's a responsibility that comes with the job." Midfielder Joelinton is available after serving a two-match ban, while Anthony Gordon could return from a hip flexor injury. Neville's backing for Howe Last weekend, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville backed Howe at Newcastle despite a poor recent run of results that has taken the Magpies from the European football picture to the bottom half of the Premier League table. "It's a really disappointing season," he told The Gary Neville podcast. "The transfer business at the end of the window in the summer was a real problem for them. They ended up with [Nick] Woltemade and [Yoane] Wissa and that's just not paid off yet. "I think full faith and trust in Eddie Howe is the way to go. "They've got a really good manager. Where at some clubs it's easier to say 'let's shift the manager and keep the players because they've got five or six-year contracts', [it's] absolutely the other way around at Newcastle. "They will be thinking 'if we lost him [Howe], we've lost an eight-and-a-half out of 10 manager, someone who's a real solid performer - reliable, consistent, someone who's got a great attitude'. "I hope they're sitting down with Eddie Howe and they're going through [the squad] and he's saying 'these are the players I want, he's a shift for me, these are the players I'm going to buy into for next season, I want to get these four or five in, and I want our business done early while everyone's thinking about the World Cup'. "They're a really good side, I like watching them and they're going to need to back their manager properly, buy into him, back him. "That's what I'd do if I were Newcastle because I think they've got one of the very best there and I think he'll get them back up challenging for Champions League next season."

Speaking to Sky's Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harriet Harman said it makes ministers "feel very demotivated and anxious", and it "undermines morale and perception". The criticism of Number 10's media handling comes after our political editor Beth Rigby revealed that Sir Keir Starmer's inner team is split over whether a reshuffle should take place after the elections on 7 May. She was told by senior government sources that the prime minister's acting chief of staff Vidhya Alakeson and key cabinet figure Darren Jones, secretary to the prime minister, are advising Sir Keir to pause on a reshuffle. On the other side, political director Amy Richards and chief whip Johnny Reynolds are pushing for one. Downing Street did not shut down reports this week that changes to the prime minister's top team could be incoming, simply telling journalists that they do not comment on "speculation". Baroness Harman criticised that, telling the Electoral Dysfunction podcast: "I just feel a bit dispirited because I feel it's unwise for Number 10 to have put into the public domain the idea that if there's a bad election result on 7 May, the solution is going to be a reshuffle. "Firstly, because if he [Starmer] decides that he doesn't want to do a reshuffle after 7 May, because of all the speculation that has been running that there's going to be one, it will look as if he hasn't done a reshuffle because he wanted to, but he's just not strong enough." Reshuffle talk also "makes secretaries of state and ministers feel insecure", pointing to reporting that the technology secretary, Liz Kendall, could be among those to go. "She's going to feel very demotivated and anxious," said Baroness Harman. "But also her diary secretary's going to think, 'why should I bust a gut to get all these appointments in her diary for the second half of May or June? Because she's probably not going to be in her job.'" 👉 Tap here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 'It undermines morale' She went on to explain that outside organisations planning meetings or conferences with Ms Kendall, or other ministers facing the chop, could "hold fire" because someone else might be in the job. Baroness Harman added: "It's unwise, even if they were planning to do a reshuffle and were absolutely certain on it, but it's even more unwise if it's actually not yet decided. "So this is another handling issue – it undermines morale and perception." Starmer in 'precarious position' Beth Rigby explained on the podcast how she learnt on Wednesday of the discussions in Downing Street about a potential cabinet reshuffle. The split in the prime minister's team, she said, "tells you a lot" about his position. It's a "high stakes" moment for the government, Rigby said, adding: "The fact we've been talking about this is a reflection of the precarious predicament… the prime minister is in."

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office claim the 21-year-old musician killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez then dismembered her body in his garage when she threatened to disclose details about their relationship. D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has denied murdering the teenager and pleaded not guilty to several other counts, including lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a dead body. A court filing, outlining evidence to be presented at a preliminary evidentiary hearing set to begin on 26 May, claims the singer met Ms Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in California, when she was 11 and began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13 and he was 18. The document alleges: "Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, [the] defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out." Prosecutors say Burke purchased tools online, including two chainsaws, and claim he "took horrifying measures" to try and dispose of the body, which was found in two bags in a Tesla registered to the singer in September. The car had been towed from the Hollywood Hills to an impound yard, where authorities were alerted to a foul smell coming from the vehicle. An autopsy report said Ms Hernandez died from "multiple penetrating injuries caused by objects". 'A beautiful, strong girl' Last week, prosecutors said a "significant amount" of child sex abuse images had been recovered during an investigation into Burke following his arrest on 16 April. A few days earlier, Ms Hernandez's parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, in their first public statement in the case, described their daughter as "a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance". "All we want is justice for Celeste," they added. In court on Wednesday, Burke's attorneys asked the judge to block the release of the prosecution's document, which was denied. They had no comment outside court. Read more from Sky News:Ex-FBI chief appears in court over Trump 'threat'Follow: US state visit latest Following the hearing next month, a judge will determine whether the case will go to trial. Burke is eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors have not confirmed whether they will seek it. The singer, known for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop, gained success with his 2022 hit Romantic Homicide and last year performed at Coachella music festival.

The housing minister said legislation to abolish the feudal-era property system and transition to a commonhold model will be passed before the next election. Politics Live: Starmer's cabinet split over reshuffle But he said switching on the ban for both leasehold flats and houses "involves some really quite complex trade-offs", so the commencement date may come later. "I'm not saying there's no chance, but I think it's highly likely that we don't switch on the ban in this parliament," Mr Pennycook said. The minister was speaking to journalists after a speech in which he reaffirmed his party's manifesto commitment to "bring the feudal leasehold system to an end". The Greens have accused Labour of U-turning as the ban will only apply to new leasehold properties and there have been delays in bringing this legislation forward. In his speech Mr Pennycook insisted that "the aim of this government, by the end of this parliament, is nothing short of its dismantling and the corresponding emancipation of leaseholders". However, he argued that an immediate outright ban would be impossible given the legal complexities of outlawing a system that originated in medieval times, accusing Zack Polanski's party of "glib soundbites". "Anyone, with even the most rudimentary knowledge of leasehold, knows that the outright and immediate abolition of circa five million English and Welsh leases is almost certainly impossible," Mr Pennycook said. He said those advocating for this approach "cannot answer how it would be lawful; how the impact on the mortgage market would be managed; how it would even be feasible for the land registry to delete millions of leasehold and freehold titles and replace them with commonhold ones overnight". "They can't answer these questions because abolishing leasehold outright is a glib soundbite rather than a serious policy proposition." 'Biggest shakeup in 1,000 years' Leasehold tenures give homeowners the right to live in their property for a given number of years but they don't own the land it is on. Leaseholders have complained of spiralling services charges to keep up with the maintenance of their building, which they have no say or control over, as well as ground rents to their freeholder landlords, which can cause barriers to selling and don't require a service in return. The system is almost unique to England and Wales, with most countries operating a commonhold model for communal buildings - where flat owners manage and own their buildings jointly. Speaking to media following his speech, Mr Pennycook said abolishing leasehold is the biggest shakeup to homeownership for 1,000 years. On the timeline, he said the government's priority is to have "all the primary legislation that we need to end leasehold in place" by the end of this parliament. "The commonhold legal framework will be fixed, I think you'll see developers start to bring forward commonhold developments out of choice," he said. "But switching on the ban involves some really quite complex trade-offs with housing supply and other issues." He added that the government's objective is to ensure a "smooth transition", and a commencement date would be named within this parliament which would apply to flats and houses at the same time. Legislation to ban the sale of new leasehold houses has already been passed - in the Conservatives' 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act, which was rushed through parliament in the "wash up" period after Rishi Sunak's decision to call an early general election. But most leasehold properties are flats and the legal framework to ban this is in Labour's Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform bill, which was introduced in January. 'Leaseholders have run out of patience' This bill will also contain measures to cap ground rents at £250 a year and set out how existing leaseholders can transition to commonhold if they want to. Reforms to make the system fairer in the meantime are contained within the 2024 act, but many of these are yet to be enacted, which Mr Pennycook has blamed on flaws in the previous government's legislation which need to be corrected. Responding to today's speech, the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) welcomed Mr Pennycook's "honesty and clarity" but said leaseholders had "run out of patience". And Harry Scoffin, founder of campaign group Free Leaseholders, said: "Listening to the minister's list of excuses of complexity and powerlessness, you could be forgiven for missing that this Labour government enjoys the second-largest majority in the ruling party's 126-year history."

After 31 minutes at the City Ground, Forest midfielder Anderson slid in to try and dispossess Villa's Olllie Watkins, but, as he did, he caught the forward on the ankle with his studs up, and left him in considerable pain. Referee Joao Pinheiro did not punish Anderson on the field and, after a very brief review, VAR Tiago Martins upheld that decision. Chris Wood penalty gives Nott'm Forest slender semi-final lead after VAR dramaAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Download the Sky Sports app It was a decision Emery did not agree with, which he made clear after the match. "The referee was fantastic, but the VAR was so bad," he told TNT Sports. "It's a clear red card. I watched it just now. I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear. "I think it's a huge mistake. VAR is responsible. "The referee was fantastic. He did a fantastic job and I appreciate a lot how he managed the match for 90 minutes. "He could break his ankle. Wow. VAR, where are you? Please, it's your responsibility. "You are professional, but you are doing very bad work because it was so clear for everybody." In his post-match press conference, Emery added: "It is a huge mistake, a huge mistake. The VAR has a huge responsibility, and he must give us an explanation. It is crazy. "The ref can't watch it like me. One action like that can break his ankle. The VAR makes sense if they are fair. What is your opinion? Wow. "In football I work 20 years as a coach, sometimes decisions are tight. I am 100 per cent with VAR, but we must manage it good and in the right way. One action like that, there is no doubt. Where is VAR?" 'It was important not to lose our minds after conceding' Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports: "We lost but we had our chances to score and we had momentum. We were stopping their high press and the match was going as we planned. "We defended well, we defended some crosses and the penalty was one action they could get like they did and we lost. "But we played the first 90 minutes and, of course, we are going to play another 90 minutes at Villa Park. "I didn't watch the action and I didn't speak with him [Lucas Digne]. Tomorrow, we will speak about everything we felt and after analysis, we can take something clear. "After their goal, the most important thing was not to lose our minds and keep our gameplan. Of course, they were excited and they were pushing and defending well, but they are good in transition as well. "If, in 70 minutes, we didn't score one goal, after the goal, we needed to keep the same idea to draw the match, but more important in that moment was to not concede a goal. "The match is not finishing in 95 minutes tonight. The match is continuing next week and we must try to come back with a result."