Morning Briefing: Friday 10 July 2026
- A New Prime Minister Within Days: Andy Burnham’s 322 nominations put him on course to enter Downing Street around 20 July — a change of government without an election. The welfare, tax and spending choices he inherits will start shaping household budgets from the autumn.
- Petrol & Energy: Oil is holding near $76 a barrel as the US-Iran war grinds on, with the war premium of recent weeks now embedded in the price. The earlier run of falling pump prices has stalled, so budget for higher fuel and energy costs through the summer.
- 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 and neighbours, stay out of the afternoon sun, and expect rail delays as tracks overheat.
Mediators Scramble to Save the US-Iran Truce as Strikes Trade
After two nights in which American forces struck scores of Iranian targets and Iran fired back at US bases across the Gulf, a diplomatic scramble is under way to stop the war from swallowing the region’s fragile truce. Pakistan and Qatar,…
Shipping Through Hormuz Grinds to a Halt as Oil Holds Steady
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped. No vessel above 10,000 tonnes has crossed the US-coordinated “southern highway” route with its tracking signal on since Tuesday, maritime intelligence shows, as owners keep tankers…
Germany to Buy and Station US Tomahawk Missiles
Germany has struck a deal to buy American Tomahawk cruise missiles and base them on German soil, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced, calling it a move to “close an important strategic gap” in the country’s defences. Agreed on the sideline…
Le Pen Vows to Run for President Despite Court-Ordered Monitor
Marine Le Pen has said she will stand 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. The ru…
Abbas Calls First Palestinian Elections in Twenty Years
President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree setting 28 November for Palestinian legislative elections, the first in two decades, to be held across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. The last such vote, in 2006, delivered a sh…
Burnham Secures 322 Nominations and Nears No 10
Andy Burnham has won the backing of 322 Labour MPs on the first day of nominations to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, far beyond the 81 needed to stand and enough to put him on course for Downing Street. With no rival declared and nominations cl…
Police Investigate £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…
Doctors Urged to Reject Pay Offer, Reopening Strike Threat
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…
Heatwave Peaks This Weekend as Amber Alert Holds
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…
Channel Small-Boat Crossings Fall 38% This Year
The number of people crossing the Channel in small boats has fallen sharply, down about 38% in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to parliamentary figures. Around 9,000 people made the journey…