Bank of England (BOE) policy maker Kristin Forbes suggested that the need to restrain inflation might “soon suggest an increase” is required in interest rates. The central bank’s latest survey of businesses, however, suggests weakening pay growth should persuade the bank to keep borrowing costs on hold. The bank’s regional agents regularly survey about 700 businesses around the U.K. …

  Compared with the US last year, European nations that face hotly-contested elections in 2017 aren’t seeing a major fake news explosion. In the Netherlands, where elections are scheduled for March 15, Geert Wilders’ nationalist Freedom Party is the front-runner. Wilders was recently caught out in a fake news scandal: He tweeted a Photoshopped image of a rival party leader …

  BAGHDAD / AP Backed by the US-led international coalition, Iraqi forces fought their way on Thursday into a sprawling military base outside of Mosul and onto the grounds of the city’s airport, taking control of the runway amid fierce exchanges of fire with IS militants. The two-pronged advance is part of a major assault that started earlier this week …