Evening Briefing: Thursday 9 July 2026
- Energy Bills: The typical household energy bill has risen around £209, or 13%, from this month to roughly £1,850 a year, driven by the war’s effect on oil and gas — and analysts warn bills may stay elevated into the autumn even if the fighting eases. Budget for higher standing costs through the winter.
- The Heat Peaks: Temperatures are forecast to reach 35C today with amber alerts across England, rail speed restrictions cancelling and slowing services, and a hosepipe ban now covering around 850,000 Kent households. Keep checking on older relatives — the health risk runs through the weekend.
- Petrol: A small mercy amid the war — oil actually eased today, with Brent falling towards $76 as markets judged the strikes contained for now. That pauses, though does not reverse, the upward pressure on pump prices.
US and Iran Trade Strikes for a Second Night
American forces struck Iran for a second consecutive night — more than 170 targets over two days, from Bushehr and Bandar Abbas to the ocean port of Chabahar — and Iran answered with missiles and drones at US bases across four countries: B…
Oil Falls Despite the Strikes as Iran Keeps Grip on Hormuz
Brent crude fell around 2% towards $76 even as the strikes resumed, unwinding part of this week’s surge as traders judged the disruption contained for now — a striking verdict on a day of open warfare. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghc…
Iran Buries Khamenei as His Successor Is Barred From the Funeral
Iran buried Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, closing a week of mass processions that drew enormous crowds chanting “we will kill you” at President Trump beneath placards demanding his death. The most telling detai…
IMF Cuts Global Growth Forecast as the War Bites
The International Monetary Fund lowered its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.0%, from 3.1%, blaming the Middle East war along with trade fragmentation and the risk of a correction in AI-driven markets. Energy prices are up around 25% since…
Trump Confirms Ukraine Can Build Patriots as Summit Closes
As the NATO summit in Ankara formally concluded, President Trump confirmed the United States will let Ukraine manufacture its own Patriot air-defence systems — “we’ll show them how to do it… we’ll bring the company here” — reversing years…
Burnham on Course for No 10 as Nominations Open
Nominations to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader — and therefore as Prime Minister — opened today, with Andy Burnham the only declared candidate and needing the backing of around 81 MPs to be confirmed. His last potential rival, th…
Disability Benefit “Not Working”, Review Finds as Charities Respond
The government’s interim review of Personal Independence Payment, published today, found the benefit “not fit for purpose”, with the disability minister Sir Stephen Timms concluding: “Pip is not working. It is not working for the people th…
AstraZeneca Sheds £19bn as Heart-Drug Trial Fails
AstraZeneca shares fell as much as 9% in London — wiping around £19bn from the value of Britain’s largest listed company — after a late-stage trial of its heart drug Wainua, developed with the US firm Ionis, failed to reduce deaths and car…
Heatwave Peaks Near 35C as Rail and Water Feel the Strain
Temperatures are forecast to reach 35C today as the summer’s third heatwave peaks, with amber health alerts across England, Network Rail speed restrictions slowing and cancelling services, and a hosepipe ban now covering around 850,000 hou…
Foreign-Source Claim Detailed in Jenrick Donation Probe
The £37,500 donation to Robert Jenrick’s 2024 Conservative leadership campaign now under Metropolitan Police investigation is alleged to have originated with a US businessman, routed through a US company before reaching a UK donor — the ar…