Evening Briefing: Friday 10 July 2026
- A New Prime Minister on 20 July: Andy Burnham is set to enter Downing Street on 20 July, unopposed — a change of government without an election. The welfare, tax and NHS choices he inherits will start shaping household budgets from the autumn.
- Petrol & Energy: Oil slipped back towards $76 a barrel today even as the US-Iran war grinds on, but the war premium of recent weeks is now baked into pump and energy prices rather than easing. Don’t expect the earlier fall in fuel costs to resume soon.
- A Dangerous Weekend of Heat: An amber alert covers England until Sunday, with temperatures in the mid-30s and a real risk to older and vulnerable people. Check on elderly relatives, stay out of the afternoon sun, and expect rail delays as tracks overheat.
US and Iran Keep Trading Blows as Talks Grind On in Secret
The war and the negotiation are now running in parallel. Even as American forces strike Iran and Tehran fires back at Gulf bases, US officials say technical talks on Iran’s nuclear programme are quietly continuing, with Washington striking…
Tankers Stay Frozen in Hormuz as Oil Slips Back
The Strait of Hormuz remains all but impassable for large tankers, with owners keeping ships away from a waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil — yet the crude price is drifting lower rather than spiking. Brent eased towards $76…
Fire Kills 28 at Chinese Shoe Factory
At least 28 people were killed when a fire tore through a shoe factory in Jinjiang, in China’s south-eastern Fujian province, one of the country’s deadliest industrial blazes in years. The fire broke out around midday in a store of flammab…
Germany Strikes Deal to Buy and Base US Tomahawks
Germany will buy American Tomahawk cruise missiles and station them on its own soil, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced, describing the move as a way to “close an important strategic gap” in the country’s defences. Agreed on the sidelines…
Le Pen to Stand for President Despite Embezzlement Ruling
Marine Le Pen has said she will run in France’s 2027 presidential election, days after an appeals court convicted her party of embezzling €2.8m in European Parliament funds and ordered her to wear an electronic monitor for a year. Cruciall…
Burnham Set to Enter No 10 on 20 July, Unopposed
Andy Burnham is on course to become Prime Minister on 20 July, running unopposed for the Labour leadership after his last potential rival stood aside. With nominations open until Wednesday and no challenger in the field, the Greater Manche…
Met Investigates £500,000 in Reform Donations
The Metropolitan Police is investigating at least £500,000 given to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of a convicted fraudster who has secretly bankrolled Nigel Farage’s political operation. Detectives are examining two £250,000 paym…
Heat Set to Peak This Weekend Under Amber Alert
The summer’s heatwave is forecast to reach its peak this weekend, with temperatures in the mid-30s across southern England and an amber heat-health alert in force until Sunday evening. The health agency, which escalated the alert this week…
Police Investigate £37,500 Donation to Jenrick’s Tory Bid
The Metropolitan Police is investigating a donation of nearly £40,000 to Robert Jenrick’s 2024 Conservative leadership campaign, after the Electoral Commission referred allegations the money originated with a US businessman, which electora…
Doctors Urged to Reject Pay Deal, Raising Strike Risk
The committee representing resident doctors in England has urged its members to reject the government’s latest pay offer — a 5.4% rise plus a £750 lump sum — calling it “pay restoration in name only”. A consultative ballot closes on 22 Jul…